RNLI Lifeboat Station Established at Selsey

1861

The RNLI established a lifeboat station at Selsey in 1861, recognising the hazards posed by the rocky shoals and strong tidal currents around Selsey Bill. The waters off the Bill, where the English Channel narrows and the tidal flows are complex, have claimed many vessels over the centuries. The original lifeboat was a rowing boat, housed in a boathouse on the shore. Over the following decades, the station was upgraded with successive improvements in boat design and launching equipment. The lifeboat station has been a source of immense local pride since its founding, with generations of Selsey families volunteering as crew members. The station remains one of the busiest on the south coast.