Looe History

1838 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coastguard William Jennings for a service to the large London brigantine Belissima. William Jennings volunteered to swim to her and, after persevering for some time, got a rope on-board enabling the Master and 12 crew to be saved.

1866 Several lives were lost when local boatmen went to the assistance of a fishing craft. After this the RNLI established a lifeboat station at Looe and the 32ft 10-oared lifeboat Oxfordshire was sent to the station.

1867 A race was held between lifeboats from Cadgwith, The Lizard, Mullion, Penzance, Sennen Cove, Looe, Fowey and Porthleven. The race was won by the Looe lifeboat.

1901 On 7 December the lifeboat launched to the vessel Gipsy. Fourteen crew were taken on board the lifeboat and the remaining five crew got into the ship’s lifeboat that was then taken in tow. Three kittens were also saved.

1902 The French Government awarded a Gold Medal to Coxswain Edward Toms and Silver Medal to each of the crew for the service to the Gipsy.

1930 The lifeboat station closed.

1992 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established and a D class lifeboat was placed on service for evaluation.

1994 A new D class lifeboat, D-461, was placed on service on 12 August.

1998  A new ILB boathouse opened at Middleton’s Corner. It was converted from one of Looe’s oldest stone buildings.

2002 A new D class lifeboat, D-574 Regina Mary, was placed on service on 5 March.
A B class lifeboat, the Atlantic 75 B-793 Alan & Margaret, was co-located with the D class.

2003 A new boathouse and slipway were completed. The building also provides a training room, office and an observation area.

Station honours

At Looe lifeboat station the following award has been made:

Silver Medal 1