About St Catherine's Station
The current lifeboat station has been at its current location in St Catherine's Bay since October 1990.
Atlantic 85
The B class inshore lifeboat is one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet. There are two Atlantic 85 lifeboats stationed in Jersey, one at each station.
- St Helier's Atlantic 85, The Spirit of St Helier, entered service in November 2022 and is kept on a versa dock adjacent the pontoon in the harbour.
- St Catherine's Atlantic 85, Eric W. Wilson, entered service in June 2010. She is kept on a trailer in the St Catherine's boathouse where she is launched by tractor.
The Atlantic 85 offers several key advantages to its predecessor, the Atlantic 75. It is slightly longer and wider and allows for a fourth crew member, which is particularly important for rescues involving searches and medical evacuations. It is also faster and has a wider range of equipment installed, including a radar and VHF direction finder as well as the GPS and VHF radio which are also found on the Atlantic 75. There is also an inter-crew intercom system to allow for more effective communication in poor weather and when travelling at speed. St Catherine's Atlantic 85 was also fitted with the RNLI's SIMS dual screen display at her last refit and this includes enhanced navigation equipment, including AIS.
The Atlantic 85 is a 'B class' lifeboat, constructed of a carbon fibre and foam core laminate rigid hull with inflatable sponsons. The sponsons are extremely durable and made of Hypalon-coated Nylon. The twin Yamaha outboard engines each produce 115hp and are modified at the RNLI's Inshore Lifeboat Centre at Cowes to prevent water entering in the event of a capsize. This allows them to be restarted when the vessel is righted after a capsize.
The Atlantic class Lifeboats have proved to be a fast and versatile means of enabling the RNLI crew to provide assistance to vessels, divers, swimmers, surfers and many others in difficulty in the waters around Jersey and along the adjacent French coast.
