Peel Lifeboat Station is located in the shadow of Peel Castle on St Patrick's Isle, in the city of Peel, on the west coast of the Isle of Man, a British Crown Dependency.
A lifeboat was first stationed at Peel by the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1828.
Re-established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1885, the station currently operates an All-weather lifeboat, 13-35 Frank and Brenda Winter (ON 1342), on station since 2021.
History On the 28 May 1828, Sir William Hillary, President of the Isle of Man District Association of the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, wrote to the associations headquarters in London, requesting that a lifeboat be placed at both Peel and Ramsey, which was duly agreed.
A new boat was provided for Peel, a 6-oared lifeboat, built by Taylor of Blackwall, London, which cost £55, and arrived in Peel on 12 December 1828. Records show only one service, in 1831, to rescue the four crew of the sloop Jane. By 1836, for reasons unknown, the boat was recorded as wrecked.
A replacement boat was commissioned with local boat-builder William Corlett, again a 26-foot "Palmer" inspired type boat. No services were ever recorded, and by 1843, this boat was also recorded as being unserviceable. With little funding available from the Institution in decline, there seemed to be no interest in maintaining a lifeboat in Peel, despite the large number of fishing boats operating there.
In 1883, Spencer Walpole, Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, wrote to the (now) RNLI, to request that a lifeboat station be re-established at Peel, highlighting that the long range of coast from Port Erin to Ramsey was unprotected by any lifeboat. A new boathouse was built next to the castle in 1884 by Redcliffe and Anderson, at a cost of £485-9s-10d, and in 1885, a new 12-oared boat arrived, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, and costing £397. The lifeboat was towed to the Island from Liverpool by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessel Ellan Vannin. The lifeboat was funded from the legacy of Capt. John Monk, RN, of Neston, Wirral, a retired naval officer, who first saw action in the Napoleonic Wars. He bequeathed £500 to the RNLI "for the purpose of building a life boat". In a grand ceremony on 14 October 1885, which coincided with the opening of the new Royal Naval Reserve Artillery battery on Creg Malin, the lifeboat was named John Monk"
The John Monk was withdrawn from service in 1895 having been condemned, and was broken up in 1896. A reserve lifeboat was stationed at Peel between 1895 and 1897. Unusually, the name of the boat was unrecorded, even though two services were recorded, to the schooner Lily Garton of Peel on 12 December 1895, and the smack Orion of Ramsey on 20 February 1897. The only two 37-foot reserve lifeboats in operation at the time, were the May (ON 196), and the William Erle (ON 296).
After years of launching Peel lifeboats by hand, Peel received their first launch and recovery tractor, a Case LA (T41) in 1963.
Following a coastal service review, the All-weather lifeboat was withdrawn in 1972, replaced with an Inshore lifeboat. A second McLachlan lifeboat followed, and then two lifeboats. In 1990, another coastal review determined that an All-weather boat would once again be placed at Peel, whilst Port Erin would receive an Atlantic 21 Inshore boat to replace their All-weather lifeboat.
In 1992, Peel's new lifeboat arrived, costing £662,663, and was named 12-22 Ruby Clery (ON 1181), following a generous bequest from the late Miss R. A. Clery of St. John's Wood, London, a great-great-granddaughter of Sir William Hillary. The naming ceremony took place on 12 September 1992, and was carried out by Mrs Karin Bache Nordli, the daughter of the baby rescued off the St George in 1889 (see St George of Norway).
The 1884 boathouse had to be demolished to make way for a new building for the Mersey lifeboat and tractor, but much of the original red sandstone was retained and re-used in the construction of the new building.
Ruby Clery served Peel for the next 27 years, before being transferred first to , and then onto . Peel received a new lifeboat in 2020, although it was 2021 before she was formally accepted on service, delays in training being caused with the COVID-19 pandemic. The boathouse once again required modifications, being extended on the North side, with larger access doors fitted, new workshop facilities, and a crew room mezzanine above the boat hall, with lookout windows.
In the 2022 Birthday Honours, Frank Horne, former Peel Coxswain, and RNLI Sea Safety Manager, was awarded the MBE.
On the morning of Sunday 13 April 2025, the station was visited by Ethan Perry, seeking advice about his new motorboat, and if in trouble, how to make a Mayday call. Unknown to everyone at the time, it was essential advice. That Mayday call would come the same day. Fortunately, the lifeboat was already in the water, out on exercise for crew training. Coxswain Mike Faragher made best speed to the location, where a boat was found partially submerged, with Ethan in the water, unconscious. The young man was recovered from the water, and CPR was carried out by several of the crew, until the lifeboat was back in Peel, and the casualty handed to the care of the paramedics. After several weeks in hospital, the man made a full recovery.
St George of Norway
On the 7 October 1889, a large fully-rigged ship was seen in trouble off Peel, badly damaged, with broken masts. The John Monk was launched into the full fury of the storm. It took a full two hours to reach the St. George, a Norwegian ship bound for Montevideo. Unable to get close, a Breeches buoy system was set up, and one by one, the Captain, his wife and baby, and 20 crew, were rescued.
The lifeboat hadn't reached Peel Harbour on the return trip, before the St George was driven ashore and wrecked. The survivors were landed on the quay to the cheers of a large assembled crowd.
For this service, Coxswain Charles Cain and the 15 lifeboat crew each received a Silver Medal from the Norwegian Government, and a Manx bible. The figurehead off the boat, "George", was recovered and has been proudly on display at Peel Lifeboat Station ever since.
Station honours The following are awards made at Peel
Silver Medal, awarded by the Norwegian Government Manx Bible, presented by John Bardsley Bishop of Sodor and Man Charles Cain, Coxswain – 1890 Angus Cain – 1890 James Cain – 1890 John Callister – 1890 John Cook – 1890 Caesar Gorry – 1890 Henry Gorry – 1890 John Gorry – 1890 James Hughes – 1890 John Hughes – 1890 H. Kaighen – 1890 Joseph McMurdoch – 1890 William Quillam – 1890 John Quirk – 1890 John Sayle – 1890 William Williamson – 1890
'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' Charles Cain II, Coxswain – 1910 Thomas Quirk – 1921 John Kissack – 1921 Patrick Gorry – 1926 W. E. Gorry, Coxswain – 1970 Edward Allen, Helm – 1980 Brian Maddrell, Helm – 1980 Frank Horne, crew member – 1995
Vellum Service Certificates John Keig – 1980 Philip Quane – 1980 Barry Horne – 1980 James Coulson – 1980 David Eames, Coxswain – 1995 Paul Jones, Second Coxswain – 1995 Paul Cain, Motor Mechanic – 1995 Tim Crookhall, crew member – 1995 John Hunter, crew member – 1995 Colin Makin, crew member – 1995 Andrew Quane, crew member – 1995
Commendation awarded by the Chief Executive of the Institution Mike Faragher, Coxswain – 2026 Juan Owens, crew member – 2026
Medical Commendation awarded by the Institution Mike Faragher, Coxswain – 2026 Jason Spooner, crew member – 2026 Chloe Katie Spooner, crew member – 2026 Will Senior, crew member – 2026 Neil Moore, crew member – 2026 Tony Elder, crew member – 2026
Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Frank Horne – 2022QBH
Peel lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats ON Name Built Class Comments 1828 1828–1836 26-foot Palmer x (6-oared) Palmer-class lifeboat, funded by the RNIPLS, built by Taylor of Blackwall, London, costing £55.Wrecked in 1836. Pre-173 1836 1836–c.1843 26-foot 'Palmer type' x (6-oared) Palmer-type lifeboat, funded from local subscription, built locally by William Corlett of Peel.Sold in 1843. 83 John Monk 1884 1885–1895 37-foot self-righting (P&S) x (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Capt. Monk, RN, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £397.Broken up in 1896. – Reserve Lifeboat – 1895–1897 – Unrecorded reserve lifeboat, on station for 2 years 396 1897 1897–1925 x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Dr A. G. Medwin of London, built by Roberts of Mevagissey, costing £485.Sold in 1925. 634 Henry Kirk 1912 1925–1937 37-foot self-righting (P&S) x (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr H. Kirk of Beeston, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £1,239 when new.Previously at . Sold in 1937. Renamed Peal o'Bells. Last reported at Southampton in 1948. Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.
Motor lifeboats ON Op.No. Name Built Class Comments 799 – Helen Sutton 1937 1937–1952 903 – Helena Harris - Manchester & District XXXI 1952 1952–1966 893 – Clara and Emily Barwell 1951 1966 Relief lifeboat 903 – Helena Harris - Manchester & District XXXI 1952 1966–1972 1181 12-22 Ruby Clery 1992 1992–2019 Transferred to . 1187 12-28 Mary Margaret 1992 2019–2021 1342 2019 2021– More post-service details can be found on the respective lifeboat class pages.
Inshore lifeboats Op.No. Name Class Comments A-506 1972 Formerly 18-006 under ALB designation A-507 1973–1976 Formerly 18-007 under ALB designation B-536 1976–1989 B-575 John Batstone 1989–1992 Inshore lifeboat withdrawn in 1992
Launch and recovery tractors Op.No. Reg. No. Type Comments T41 JXR 66 Case LA 1963–1970 T54 MJT 722P Case LA 1970–1973 T43 JXR 934 Case LA 1973–1978 TW07 MAN 49W Talus MB 764 County 1978–1988 TW06 BMN 476L Talus MB 764 County 1988–1992 T114 1222 MN 1992–2004 T111 1222 MN Talus MB-H Crawler 2004–2019 T108 1222 MN Talus MB-H Crawler 2019–2021 SLARS (Clayton) 2020–
See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
Notes
References
External links Peel RNLI Lifeboat Station