R.N.L.I. Website
Moelfre Boathouse Website
R.N.L.I. Gwylfan Moelfre Seawatch Centre
R.N.L.I. GWYLFAN MOELFRE SEAWATCH CENTRE
The R.N.L.I. are now running the Seawatch Centre here in Moelfre. It is staffed by a loyal band of volunteers but we are always looking for more helpers to run this venture. If you are interested in helping out please get in touch with us. The contact number is 01248 850976.
The Centre has the Oakley Class Lifeboat "The Birds Eye" from New Quay on display but unfortunately, now, due to the age of the boat, access has had to be restricted to viewing only. Access also to parts of the Seawatch are limited. Some of the maritime artefacts are still available to view and we are looking into making our own collections available to visitors in the coming months.
The Oakley class lifeboat [named after its designer Richard Oakley] dates back to a prototype beginning in 1958 and is a 37 foot self righting lifeboat built at a cost of £32.000. The photograph below shows her at the beginning of her working life in New Quay in 1970 and is the return from her christening launch.
The photograph is reproduced with permission of J.P. Morris/R.N.L.I. who hold the copyright.
The Oakley [presented to New Quay by Birds Eye Foods Ltd in 1970 and by then costing £38.500] is 37 feet long and has a beam of 11 feet 6 inches. She requires a draught of just short of 3 feet 4 inches. Her weight with crew gear and ballast is 12.45 tons. Her engines are twin Ford Thorneycroft 52 BHP diesels and her speed 8.1 knots, range 180 miles at full speed with a crew of 7. She was in operation at New Quay from August 1970 until June1990 when she was eventually retired to spend her days in comfort in Moelfre. During her period of service she was launched on 90 occasions, saving 42 lives.
For further information go to Wikipedia
The R.N.L.I. souvenir shop is fully stocked and operational.
Admission to the Seawatch Centre is free and currently the hours of opening are :-
10.30am - 4.30pm every day - Bank Holidays included.
A Picnic Area available to all in front of the Seawatch Centre with stunning views over the bay towards Puffin Island and Great Orme and also Snowdonia.
Limited Car Parking available at the rear of the Seawatch Centre, please note there is now a small charge for parking.
The Blue Funnel Line Ships
The model ship on the left as you look at it was built by D.Hanley (ex A.B.) Wavertree, Liverpool. She is the Anchises 8,292 g.r.t.
The actual ship was built by Caledon SBE, Dundee in 1947. In 1949 bombed by Chinese Nationalists on the Whagpo River and she was towed to Kobe for repair. In 1975 she was sold for scrap and broken up at Kaohsiung.
The model on the right is of the Tantalus, built in 1943 by Bethelehem Fairfield Shipyard, Maryland, U.S.A. Tonnage 7,297, Length 134.6m/441.7"
Beam 17.4m/57ft. Service speed 11 knots.
I am told these models were gifted to the village of Moelfre at some point. Unfortunately with the passing of time this information has been lost. If anyone knows who it was that gifted them to us and you would like to contact us I would love to add their names to this display. A contact email address can be found on the Moelfre Lifeboat Day web site, access from the bottom of this page.
Come and experience the wonderful Sam Holland bronze plaques made for the 150th anniversary of the wreck of The Royal Charter as well of course as her sculpture of Coxwain Dic Evans who was awarded 2 Gold Awards for his part in the rescues of the Hindlea and the Nafsiporos.
The first plaque shows Maltese seaman Giuseppi Ruggier climbing the rocks carrying a lifeline which would allow a breeches buoy to be rigged to the Royal Charter and and this provided a lifeline for some of the crew and passengers. He was awarded the R.N.L.I. Gold Medal and a sum of £5 for his bravery. He was also awarded a medal by the Board of Trade for "gallantry in saving life".
The second plaque shows the Royal Charter being hurled around in the giant waves before her demise.
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