Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station

Aldeburgh lifeboat station
RNLI Lifeboat station
Aldeburgh lifeboat station.
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Country	England
County	Suffolk
District	Suffolk Coastal
Town	Aldeburgh
Location	Crag Path, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5BP
- coordinates	52°9′11″N 1°36′10″E / 52.15306°N 1.60278°E / 52.15306; 1.60278Coordinates: 52°9′11″N 1°36′10″E / 52.15306°N 1.60278°E / 52.15306; 1.60278
Founded	1851
Date	Current boathouse 1994
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Aldeburgh in the English county of Suffolk. the lifeboat station evolved from the Suffolk Shipwreck Association station in 1851 which was originally in Sizewell and there has been a lifeboat here since that date. The present station has two boats on station. These are the Mersey-class lifeboat RNLB Freddie Cooper (ON 1193) and the D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat RNLB Christine (D-673). The station covers the coast from Harwich to the south, and Southwold to the North.

The current lifeboat station was built in 1994 to replace a smaller older one on the same site. The new station gave cover for the first time to the boat and Talus MB-H tractor. Incorporated into the design there is a public viewing platform. The station has showers and toilet facilities for the crew and a heated store for their foul weather suits. There are also further equipment storage rooms. This new boathouse was built using part of the bequest of Mrs Eugenie Boucher who had died in 1992.

Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station currently operates two lifeboats. The All weather Lifeboat is a Mersey-class lifeboat and is called the Freddie Cooper (ON 1193) and has been on station since November 1993. The lifeboat is 38 feet long and is self-righting. She is powered by two 285 hp turbo charged Caterpillar 3208T diesel engines and she has a range of 140 nautical miles. These two engines push the boat through the water to a top speed of 16 knots. Fully laden she weighs 13 tons and she is operated by a volunteer crew of six. The Lifeboat has a capacity to rescue 43 survivors (self-righting up to 21). She was purchased using a bequest to the RNLI from the late Mrs Winifred Cooper in memory of her husband Freddie.

RNLI Headquarters have announced that Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station will be getting a Shannon-class to replace the current boat, a Mersey-class. The station can expect to receive the new boat in 2021.