The station is situated on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde, at the entrance to Gare Loch, formerly in Dunbartonshire, now in the administrative region of Argyll and Bute.

[2] In 1964, in response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country.

[1][2] On the morning of 3 January 2012, a sudden storm, with winds of Force 11, ripped through the marina at Rhu, causing havoc.

With pontoons in the marina rising and falling by over 1 metre (3.3 ft), the crew crawled on their hands and knees to bring people ashore.

For this service, and for his courage, leadership and motivational skills brought to the station since joining in 1968, Lifeboat Operations Manager Colin Gardiner was awarded the British Empire Medal.