THE HISTORY OF TENBY LIFEBOAT
R.N.L.B. ANNIE COLLIN
1885
R.N.L.B. ANNIE COLLIN
In May 1885 it was decided to place a new lifeboat at Tenby. She was a 34 foot by 8 foot, ten-oared self righter. She cost £367.13.6d to builb, the money being provided by a legacy from Miss A. Collin of Store Street, London. The new lifeboat was also provided with an improved launching carriage. The nameing ceremony took place on december 23rd 1885. The Service of Dedication was conducted by the Rev. George Huntington, Rector of Tenby, and the boat was named by Miss Jones, a relative of Mr. J. R. Rowlands, Honorary Secretary of the Tenby Station Branch. The lifeboat was stationed at Tenby for 16 years. Tenby held its first annual meeting of supporters and subscribers in january 1896.The lifeboats first service came when the crew of three of the ketch 'Honor' of Cardiff was rescued after she dragged her anchor during a storm on december 8th, 1886. Another vessel which got into trouble while lying at anchor in Caldey Roads, was the Cardiff ketch 'Louisa,' On New Years day in 1888, she signalled for assistance and the 'Annie Collin' was launched at 11.30 a.m. Several lifeboatmen boarded the ketch and helped to weigh anchor, the vessel and her crew then being brought safely into harbour. Later that same year, on November 20th, during a fierce North-North-West gale the trawler 'Jubilee'arrived off Tenby and reported that the local smack 'Faithful' was in distress off Cefn Sidan-Sands, on the opposite side of Carmarthen Bay. Because of her deep draught, the trawler had been unable to get close enough to help the smack and so the lifeboat was launched at 7.00 p.m., and set out, accompanied by the trawler. She eventually found the smack and rescued the crew of 2 men and a boy. The'Jubilee' then took the lifeboat in tow back to Tenby arriving there at half-past one the next morning.
In 1892, Thomas Davies succeeded William Ray as coxswain.
Towards the end of 1893, the 'Annie' Collin' was taken to London for alterations and improvements to be carried out and a reserve lifeboat was sent to Tenby during her absence. This boat performed one service, On November 18th, 1893, when the local trawler 'Elizabeth' dragged her anchor during a North-North East gale. At 11.00 a.m., the reserve lifeboat was launched and, in very heavy seas, saved the trawler's crew of 3 men and a boy. The improved 'Annie Collin' returned to her station in February 1894 and shortly afterwards, it was agreeb that the boathouse was inadequate. it was therefore demolished and a new one erected, 60 feet closer to the beach, at a coast of £525.1.0d.
This old boathouse can still be seen today and is now used by the South Pembrokeshire District Council as a store.
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