Sharpness was SARA’s second station to open, originally setup in response to a tragic accident. In November 1985 a Mother, Father and Small child were cut off while walking on the sands just off Sharpness. They were swept away by the incoming tide and drowned. A short while later in a separate incident a 15 year old boy was also lost just off Sharpness.

Due to the fact that Chepstow boats could not reach this area at this state of tide it was decided to open a Station at Sharpness. When fund-raising efforts were well underway the station was Opened by TV Personality Johnny Morris in 1986.

The station was originally based in two portacabins by the side of Sharpness Old Dock. The largest of the two Sharpness boats, SARA 2, was kept in an outside compound and unfortunately suffered engine theft on several occasions. In 1996 the crew were able to move into the renovated Dock Master’s house and this is used as the base today. The grade 2 listed building was renovated with financial help from; British Waterways, Gloucester Harbour Trustees; The Foundation for Sport & the Arts, English Heritage and Stroud District Council. The refurbished station boasts a large boathouse, galley, changing rooms, control room and presentation room.

Sharpness opened it’s new slipway in October 2008, which was made possible by a £85,000 donation from the Assistant Grand Master of Mark Master Masons. This donation was in recognition of the efforts of SARA in the July 2007 floods in Gloucestershire.

The new facility includes a state of the art boathouse and launch slipway which houses the front line lifeboat and permits a very fast launch by tractor and launch cradle directly from the building. It also contains an operations room and training facility.

Although in use housing the lifeboat, final works, in particular the rendering of the outside of the building, needed to be completed. Dragon Alpha Cement at Sharpness Docks, have very kindly stepped in and donated the cement required to render the building. This generous gesture by Dragon Alpha Cement enables the work to go ahead without further delay, final works are currently underway to complete the project.

All incidents are run from the control room in conjunction with the Coastguard or other agency that may have requested search and rescue services.

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