Welcome Aboard

Welcome and congratulations on receiving orders to the National Motor Lifeboat School (NMLBS). NMLBS is co-located with Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment at the south end of the Long Beach Peninsula near the mouth of the Columbia River in Ilwaco, WA. Our origins date to 1968 when the 13th Coast Guard district recognized a need for formal training for the new 44' motor lifeboat. Originally it was little more than scheduled meetings of surfmen at CG Station Cape Disappointment. As time progressed, a curriculum was developed and instructors were permanently assigned. It became a national training center and adopted its current name in 1981. It is the only school for rough weather and surf rescue operation in the United States and is respected internationally as a center of excellence for heavy boat operations. We have five 47' motor lifeboats (MLB's) with which we conduct courses in heavy weather operations, MLB unit supervision and MLB maintenance.

Ilwaco, WA is one of several small towns on the Long Beach Peninsula. It is a 2-hour drive time to Portland, OR, and a 3.5-hour drive time to Seattle, WA. With a population of approximately 5000 people, the primary industries on the Peninsula are tourism, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.

47-Foot Motor Lifeboat (MLB)

The 47' motor lifeboat is designed as a first response rescue resource in high seas, surf, and heavy weather environments. These boats are built to withstand the most severe conditions at sea and are capable of effecting a rescue at sea even under the most difficult circumstances. They are self-bailing, self-righting, almost unsinkable, and have a long cruising range for their size.

Length: 47 feet Fuel tank capacity: 394 gallons Crew capacity: Four Survivor capacity: Five Max. speed: 25 knots Cruise speed: 21.5 knots Max. range at cruise speed: 200 nautical miles Max. winds: 50 knots (sustained) Max. seas: 30 feet Max. towing capacity: 150 tons