Who Are We?

Sunday September 11th 2011 we close the station for around 20-24 weeks due to redevelopment and the building of an Observatory which will then become our new home.




NCI Rossall Point lookout is situated on The Promenade Fleetwood and is at the south west corner of Morecambe Bay. From the Station virtually the whole of the Bay can be observed. The Bay is notorious for ever-changing sands and fast-flowing channels and is the graveyard of many wrecks of professional sailors. It has claimed numerous lives and necessitates frequent rescues of persons cut off by the fast flowing tides, which quickly surround the unwary who venture out on the sands. Many will recall the tragedy of the Chinese cockle pickers who perished in the Bay a few years ago. The Bay provides access to several ports including Barrow, Heysham and Fleetwood and commercial marinas. It provides leisure facilities to participants in all forms of water sports. It is frequented throughout the year, by commercial and leisure fishermen often in small boats.
 
The fast tidal run (up to 3.5 knots) on a spring tide and exposure to westerly gales has overcome the efforts of generations to attain safe harbour as witnessed by the visible wrecks at low tide.
 
The Station, which was refurbished by the members in 2008, opened in May 2008 and occupies a former H. M. Coastguard lookout station believed to be built in about 1948. Since the closure of many Coastguard stations in the early 1990’s it has served as a bird-watching outpost and a store for Wyre Borough Council’s gardeners.
 
This new Station has (at June 2008) 33 crew members and is actively seeking further recruits for training at the well-known Fleetwood Nautical College, which kindly provides facilities. Further practice and training takes place at the Station with trained personnel.
 
The Station has recently worked closely with the Fleetwood R N L I, Coastguard and the Police and has been involved in BBC local radio reports and the local newspapers about its participation in rescues of several kinds.

For An Assessment Of The Weather Telephone The Watchkeeper
 
Lookout Tel: to be announced
Every day, daylight hours
Latitude. 53°.55' 2 N
Longditude 003° 02' 4W
OS Grid Reference SD314479
 
 
 
 
 
 
Helping To Save Lives