Biography
S.O.S. Weekend At Hoylake Lifeboat Staion, RNLI. Taking place the month of May.
GRID LOCATOR for Hoylake RNLI is IO83KK. https://www.sosradioweek.org.uk
Hoylake Lifeboat Station
Hoylake is situated on the north-west corner of the Wirral Peninsula overlooking the picturesque Dee Estuary, with the hills of North Wales as a backdrop.
Hoylake Lifeboat Station is one of the oldest on the coasts of the UK and Ireland and was founded by the Liverpool Docks Trustees, which built the first lifeboat station, in 1803. The station was taken over by the RNLI in 1894.
Hoylake Lifeboat Station celebrated its bicentenary in 2003.
In 2007 the RNLI launched an ambitious £2 million appeal to fund and build a new state-of-the-art lifeboat station.
This new lifeboat station was built on the site of the old Hoylake open-air swimming baths and officially opened its doors in November 2008.
Hoylake Lifeboat Station was specifically designed to house the Shannon class lifeboat and its launch and recovery system. Hoylake’s Shannon class lifeboat RNLB Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood became operational at the station on 9th December 2014 and is housed in the main boat hall.
Hoylake’s Inshore Rescue Hovercraft Hurley Spirit is also housed in the boat hall.
Lifeboat, Hovercraft, Tractor unit
Hoylake’s Shannon class lifeboat 13-06 RNLB ‘Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood’ went operational on 9th December 2014.
Measuring just 13m in length and weighing in at 18 tonnes
The lifeboat was funded by the legacy of Paulette Micklewood and named for her father.
Launch type: Carriage or afloat
Crew: 6 (including doctor)
Length: Overall 13.6 Waterline 11.6m
Beam / width: 4.5m
Draught / depth: 1m
Displacement: 18 tonnes (maximum)
Maximum speed: 25 knots
Fuel capacity: Approximately 1,200 litres in each tank
Range / endurance: 250 nautical miles
Construction: Fibre-reinforced plastic
Engines: 2 x 13-litre 650hp Scania D13 engines
Twin Hamilton HJ364 waterjets
Survivor capacity: Self-righting – 6 seated + 17 standing inside Non self-righting – 79
The RNLI Inshore Rescue Hovercraft H-005 Hurley Spirit has been on service at Hoylake Lifeboat Station since 2016.
Name: H-class rescue hovercraft
Builders: Griffon Hoverwork
Operators: (RNLI)
Built: 2002–2009
In service: 2002–
Completed: 7 (production ongoing)
General characteristics
Displacement: 3.86 tonnes
Length: 6.88 m (22.6 ft.)
Beam: 3.36 m (11.0 ft.)
Draught: N/A
Propulsion: 2 x VW 1.9 turbo diesels
Speed: 30 knots (35 mph)
Endurance: 3 hours
Capacity: 10
Complement: 2-4
It is particularly useful for shoreline searches and is ideally suited to operating across the mud flats of the Dee Estuary, the Wirral coast and the River Mersey.
CREW
35 crew members 4 Female, 31 Male
Hoylake Lifeboat Station Shop
Open Sundays 11am – 3pm (weather permitting)