Organise a Visit

In 1858, the RNLI made the decision to re-establish a station in Exmouth, which officially opened in 1859. Since then, Exmouth RNLI has remained at the forefront of coastal rescue operations. Today, our station is equipped with cutting-edge lifeboats and technology, ensuring we’re ready to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice.

We invite you to visit us, learn more about our work, and discover the vital role we play in keeping our coastal community safe.

Launch a Memory

Drop in viewings:

We work hard to ensure that everyone who has added a name to lifeboat 13-03 can see it. However, please be aware that there are times when the lifeboat may not be in the station. This could be for a number of reasons — most importantly, when it’s out saving lives at sea. For this reason, we cannot guarantee that you’ll be able to view the name you’re looking for on the boat itself.

To help, we have placed banners on the ramp outside the station showing the decals from both sides of the hull.

Most of the time, you can visit the station and see the names on the hull but please note that the lifeboat sits on its launch and recovery system, which means the names may be high above your head and difficult to read. The names on the wheelhouse roof aren’t visible at all, but we’ve provided a display board showing all the decals so you can locate specific names.

As we move into the time of year when the main boathouse doors may be closed due to inclement weather, we’ve made special arrangements to ensure you can still view the names.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, one of our volunteers can be made available at the lifeboat station between 12:00 and 13:00 to let you in and help you view the names on the hull.

If you would like a volunteer to be there during these times, please use the booking form here to let us know.

This applies to visits between 12.00 and 13.00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. 

Additionally, Tour Guides will be on duty on weekdays during School Holidays, as defined by Devon County Council, at the times shown in the orange boxes below.

DECEMBER viewing dates

Each Saturday and Sunday, 11.00am to 3.00pm

We know many people will be eager to see the lifeboat newly returned to Exmouth and proudly displaying the names of loved ones. There are a number of ways to visit:

• VIP station tour experience – limited availability. For a more exclusive and in-depth visit, pre-book our strictly limited VIP guided tour. You’ll get full access to the station, a behind-the-scenes look at the RNLI’s lifesaving work, and an up-close view of the lifeboat. Book your VIP Experience at Eventbrite
• You can also book a more limited tour of the station here which lasts about 45 minutes.
• For Group Tours, such as Schools, Cubs, Brownies, Scouts, Societies that are not LAM related details on how to book can be found below (Schools, Groups, Individuals)

Exmouth is a busy operational lifeboat station so please be aware that the lifeboat may not be at the station when you visit due to operational requirements.

The RNLI’s Launch a Memory campaign offers a lasting tribute to commemorate a loved one or celebrate someone still among us by having their name on an RNLI lifeboat. R and J Welburn, Exmouth’s Shannon-class lifeboat, is the latest Launch a Memory lifeboat. The appeal has raised over £1.08million for the RNLI, which will fund essential equipment and training required for the crews to continue saving lives at sea.

To find the location of a name on the lifeboat, please go to www.launchamemory.rnli.org.uk/exmouth

To find out where R and J Welburn is, at any time, click here and use option 3.

We aim to keep the lifeboat in the boathouse as much as possible. This helps us carry out maintenance more efficiently, since all the necessary tools are on site and the hull stays clean and free from marine growth—keeping the boat in top condition.

However, there may be times when the boat is moored in the Marina or on the wet mooring, just outside the Marina. This can happen for a few reasons, such as when the tractor (used to launch the boat) is undergoing scheduled maintenance, or if we know we won’t have the right crew available to launch from the boathouse during a certain period.

We’ll do our best to keep this page updated whenever the boat is planned to be out of the boathouse. Please note, though, that emergency call-outs, known as “shouts”, can happen at any time, and we can’t always predict them!

13-03 R and J Welburn

All Tours MUST be pre-booked. Before making travel arrangements please wait for the Lifeboat Visits Officer to confirm your booking. This could take up to a week.

There are three basic sections to the tour:

• Inshore Lifeboat
• All Weather Lifeboat
• Shannon Launch and Revovery System

For safeguarding reasons, the following guidelines must be adhered to:

• Children aged 0 to 4 years must have an adult for every 2 children.
• Children aged 4 to 7 years must have an adult for every 6 children.
• Children aged 8 to 11 years must have an adult for every 10 children
• Children aged 12 years and above must have an adult for every 15 children

We do not take any responsibility for the supervision of children.

If you would like to book a tour you can here

Dedicated Group Tours for Schools and other Groups

We offer pre-arranged tours to schools, organisations, social groups and even large groups of family and friends during the week or at weekends, subject to operational requirements and volunteer availability throughout the year. Child/adult ratios must be in line with the safeguarding guidelines shown above.

The minimum number in any group is 6. Schools and groups with more than 6 children please see the Guidelines for schools

Please submit a visitors’ booking form, even at the start of any provisional enquiry.

This makes it much easier to establish what your needs are from the start and that you understand our terms and conditions. Upon receipt of a completed form, we will then contact you to discuss your proposed requirements.

The form is available here

After completing the on-line form click the box ‘Submit‘ and it will automatically be sent to visits@exmouthlifeboat.org.uk.

We have a high demand for Tours in the summer, so please book well in advance.

Please Note: For all visits, parking is available at the large council managed Foxholes car park opposite the Lifeboat Station – parking by the Lifeboat Station is for RNLI personnel only.