Coastwatch volunteers excited to move into new lookout station at Mablethorpe

Manned by dedicated volunteers, the station employs radar, automatic shipping identification, and VHF radio to monitor sea and coastal conditions.

Established in 2009, over the years, the volunteers of National Coastwatch Institution Mablethorpe have collaborated closely with emergency services like the police, RNLI and local coastguard units, ensuring the safety and well-being of locals and visitors, but publicity officer Malcolm Drewery explained that their single storey lookout building had come to the end of its life after 16 years.

He said: “It was not ideal as it was end on to the sea and single storey. It was a portable building and has served us well but is falling apart due to salt water corroding metal parts.”

They applied for a government grant via the head office of their national organisation and received a total of £140,000 to pay for construction, installation and fitting out with updated equipment.

Malcolm said: “We have a lot of ancillary equipment like radar, automatic identification of shipping and radio sets with aerials, so we are upgrading with new radar set installed.”

The new two-storey station has been specially built by Space Projects of Hull according to the team’s own designs and was delivered and installed on the edge of Seaview Car Park, off Quebec Road in Mablethorpe on December 12, but is awaiting fitting out once supplies can be obtained after the festive break.

"We were hoping to have it up and running by January 5 but it has been put back to mid-January,” Malcolm said.

Excited about opening the new facilities, he said: “We are going to be a lot more efficient. We will be much higher up than before with our lookout on the top floor and lengthways to the sea, meaning we will see more of the beach and further out to sea. A problem we previously had was that the dunes in front of the old station obstructed our view of the close beach, so we will now have a much better view.”

National Coastwatch Institution Mablethorpe is part of a broader initiative which began in 1994 to enhance coastal surveillance following the closure of several coastguard stations. There are now 62 Coastwatch stations in England and Wales.

Mablethorpe has 47 watchkeepers on their books, with at least two per shift, plus trainees, covering two or three shifts a day during daylight hours.

They are always looking for more volunteers to fill all the watches, as many members are retired and health issues can get in the way, although they have had young people on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme train with them too.

Anyone wishing to join can get in touch via their Facebook page or website nci-mablethorpe.co.uk or call 01507 211377 or email [email protected]