Porthdinllaen's station history

A lifeboat house constructed at a cost of £140.

A new lifeboat house and slipway constructed at a cost of £1,200.

On quarterly exercise of the lifeboat, Mr William Thomas, a member of the local committee, had his left foot torn off through getting it caught in the quarter stopper. Committee of Management granted £500 to cover medical and other expenses.

Silver Medal awarded to Second Coxswain William Dop for his intrepid seamanship in the rescue of three people from the yacht Waterbell that was forced to anchor close in to Porth Oer in a mass of breaking water on the night of 8/9 August. The lifeboat arrived on scene half an hour after midnight in pitch dark and an increasing wind. The coxswain took her between the yacht and the rocks, which enabled the three men to jump aboard. He then brought the lifeboat out stern first and returned to station at 5.30am.

A Centenary Vellum awarded.

Bronze Medal awarded to Coxswain Griffith J Jones for the rescue of a man on the night of 20 September seen clinging in the dark to a rock a quarter of a mile north of the lifeboat house. Using the lifeboat station’s boarding boat in strong gale force south-westerly winds and rough sea with a heavy swell, together with his son, negotiated the narrow channels, reached the exhausted man, and pulled him to safety aboard the boat. His 14-year-old son Eric, who also manned the boarding boat, was awarded an inscribed wristwatch.

Bronze Medal for gallantry awarded to crew member Glyn Roberts and the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Second Coxswain Scott for the rescue of a boy trapped 80 feet up the cliff face at Porth-y-Nant on the night of 31 August/1 September. Glyn Roberts and Second Coxswain John Scott launched lifeboat at 11.15pm and went ashore in a boarding boat between dangerous rocks in an eight foot swell. Glyn Roberts climbed 80 foot up the cliff face to bring the boy to safety. A second boy was also rescued from the beach.

Bronze Medal for gallantry awarded to Second Coxswain Michael Massarelli in recognition of his courage, determination and seamanship when the lifeboat under his command rescued two men who had been thrown into the water when their inflatable dinghy capsized and was clinging to the side in Porthdinllaen Bay in north-easterly gale and a very rough sea on the afternoon of 25 April.

The new station Tyne class lifeboat ON1120 Hetty Rampton was placed on service. This lifeboat was funded by gifts from P.A Rollo Esq of Cold Blow Oare Marlborough Wilts and Miss Yolande Rampton.

It was agreed by the Operations Committee on 8 February and resolved by the Trustee Committee at their meeting on 5 April that Porthdinllaen be allocated a Tamar class lifeboat to replace the existing Tyne class lifeboat in due course.

Breakwater repairs completed in October.

The new station Tamar lifeboat ON1304 John D Spicer was placed on service 24 August 2012. The lifeboat was funded by the generous bequest of Mr John D Spicer together with other legacies. Lifeboat ON1120 Hetty Rampton has been withdrawn.