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The Pulling
and Sailing boats 
y cychod rhwyfo a hwylio
In 1845 an American ship,
the GLENDOWER,
was wrecked on the bar. A local boat manned by the harbour master and
three local master mariners put out and rescued the crew of 15. There
was obviously the need for rescue facilities to cover this trecherous
coastline and a lifeboat station was established in 1853 by the
Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Benevolent Society. The RNLI took
over soon afterwards and based the lifeboat, the DAUNTLESS, at
Criccieth.
An unnamed boat was on
station from 1854-1867. The next lifeboat, the JOHN ASHBURY, served
the area from 1867-1886. The period 1854-1886 coincided with the boom
years for Portmadoc and the rescue service was kept busy. A total of
116 lives were saved.
From 1886-1910 the
CAROLINE was on station. Nine lives were saved by this lifeboat. She
was replaced by a reserve boat, the JAMES AND CAROLINE. On October the
13th 1910 the lifeboat was thrown on the rocks in the east bay while
attempting to launch. Allthough damaged she was relaunched. On nearing
the casualty she went on her beam ends and three men were washed over
the side but quickly rescued. The lifeboat struggled towards shore and
safely beached near the mouth of the Dwyfor.
The last pulling/sailing
lifeboat, the PHILIP WOOLEY, served the area from 1911 to 1931. With
the outbreak of the Great War, Portmadoc's trade was drastically
reduced (one of the main destinations for the slate had been Germany).
Several schooners were sunk by U boats. One of my ancestors, Capt
Richard Cadwalader Jones, was lost on the Porthmadog schooner ELLEN
JAMES in 1917. The PHILIP WOOLEY can still be remembered by older
residents of Criccieth.
The slate trade steadily
dwindled and by the 1930's there was very little maritime activity in
Tremadoc Bay. In 1931 a motor lifeboat was stationed at Pwllheli,
eight miles to the west, and it was decided to close the Criccieth
station.
Click
here for some photos of the Pulling and sailing boats
The
Motor Lifeboats
y cychod modyr
The next twenty years saw
little shipping activity in Tremadoc Bay. There was a plane crash
during the war and minor incidents. On one occasion an Irish auxiliary
schooner drifted into the bay with the crew dead having been overcome
by fumes (cargo or engine?).
In 1951 an event occured
that changed all this. A 27' ex navy whaler, used by a school camp,
capsized about a mile off the castle. The wind was fresh to strong
from the NE and, as it was September, the boats used in the tourist
trade had been stored for the winter. A boat was hurriedly taken from
a shed at the back of the Marine Hotel and run down to the west beach.
Despite a heavy surf it was launched and three men crewed it out to
the casualty. One boy was rescued but unfortunately five drowned.
This incident prompted a
re-think regarding life saving facilities in the area and it was
decided to re-open the Criccieth Station. In July 1953 the RICHARD
SILVER OLIVER arrived and took up her station.
This boat was replaced in
1961 by the ROBERT LINDSAY. For a period, during 1964, she was
relieved by the SARAH ANN AUSTIN.
A change in the
pattern of activity was taking place in the Bay. The last regular
commercial vessel, the FLORENCE
COOKE, which had loaded explosives at Porthmadog, ceased
trading. Generating equipment for the Trawsfynydd nuclear power
station was the last cargo (apart for some "blacklegging"
during a Liverpool dockers strike). The tourist industry became the
main source of income in the area and with it an increase in pleasure
boating. Now yachts, speedboats, cabin cruisers and bathers became the
potential casualties.
In 1967 a fast response
"D" class inflatable lifeboat was sent to the station. The
next year the all-weather lifeboat was withdrawn.
Click
here for some photos of the motor boats
The
Inshore Rescue Boats
y cychod agos î'r tîr
The "D" class
lifeboat was on station until 1983 when it was withdrawn and replaced
by a "C" class. This served until 1993 when an Atlantic 21
took over. This was replaced by a larger Atlantic 75. A new, extremely
versatile launching tractor was also introduced.
Press
Release from RNLI November 6th 2008
There
will be mixed emotions at Criccieth this week, as the RNLI waves goodbye
to its current lifeboat, which has a proud record of nearly 300
emergency call-outs and welcomes a brand new state-of-the-art vessel.
Criccieth is to become the second of the RNLI's 31 lifeboat stations in
Wales to take delivery of a new design of lifeboat, known as the B
Class, Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat. The volunteer RNLI crew at
Aberystwyth received the same lifeboat last month.
The Atlantic 85 is the most advanced
inshore lifeboat ever produced by the RNLI. It is able to reach
casualties faster than the Atlantic 75 lifeboat currently at Criccieth
and can reach speeds of up to 35 knots. It features state-of-the-art
technology to enhance its lifesaving capabilities. The current Atlantic
75 lifeboat Mercurius has served the station well, with an impressive
record of answering 291 calls, saving the lives of 75 people and landing
a further 47 people from danger. In addition, a further 159 people have
been brought ashore for their own safety by the lifeboat. The lifeboat
has spent 294 hours at sea on rescue missions.
Click
here for some photos of the inshore boats
Notes and
anecdotes etc.
- In
December 1854 Two clipper ships, The "Pride
of the Seas" and the "Culloden",
bound for Liverpool, ran aground on the Causeway.
Click here for the
account of the services by Criccieth and Barmouth lifeboats
- In 1856 John Roberts was awarded
the silver medal for his part in the rescue of four, of the crew of
eight, from the brig CHARLOTTE which
was aground near Harlech. Click
here for an account of the shipwreck and rescue.
- In 1881 two crew men were
seriously injured and the lifeboat damaged during service to the
barque MATILDA HILLYARD.
- On 6th February 1885 seven men
were rescued from the barque SPANKER
aground at Morfa Harlech.
Click here for a full account of the rescue, written by
Capt. W.E.Williams, including a sketch of the incident. May
1998
- In 1907 the lifeboat rescued the
crew of the local schooner OWEN MORRIS
which was washed into Black Rock Caves.
Click
here for an acount of the shipwreck and rescue (and photo)
- In 1951 Robert (Robin)
Cadwalader, Mathias (Thai) Williams and Will Davies received a
letter of appreciation from the Institution for their part in
rescuing one boy during the tragedy that resulted in the station
being reopened.
- In 1977 the Thanks of the
Institution, inscribed on vellum, were presented to James Owen,
Kenneth Roberts and Robert williams in recognition for their service
to the yacht ZIRCON aground on
Porthmadog Bar.
- On 31st July 1979 a boy fell off
the cliffs at Black Rock. The crew of the of the lifeboat reached
him but could not relaunch due to deteriorating weather. He was
carried on a stretcher over the rocks to a waiting ambulance. A
letter of thanks was received from the Institution .
- 1991. A letter of commendation
was sent to Kevin Owen who dived to the seabed to recover a body at
Black Rock.
- 1993. New side extension built on
the station.
- In October 1993, in a strong wind
and a rough sea, two persons were rescued off the yacht
LADY AMANDA aground on Porthmadog
Bar. A Framed Letter of Thanks, signed by the Institution's
Chairman, was sent to helmsman William Walker-Jones. Letters of
Appreciation were also sent to crew members Paul Filby, Nigel
Roberts and Steven Williams.
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