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Seahouses Lifeboats Online |
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(Formerly North Sunderland) Established as an RNLI Station on Aug 4th, 1859. |
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The Station and its History. The Seahouses Lifeboat, a brief history: The station was established in 1827 but little is known of its history before it was taken over by the Institution in 1852 from Lord Crewe's trustees. Between 1827 and 1852 Seahouses had three lifeboats. Sadly, no record can be found of these boats, their crews or any rescues undertaken by the boats. The first lifeboat for which there are recorded details was delivered in 1852 and was un-named. It was a self righting boat 30 feet in length and was powered by 10 men with oars. The boat cost £150. Today's "Grace Darling" cost £455,000. Of these early years however one of the notable events was the attempt which the men of Seahouses made to rescue the survivors of the Forfarshire wrecked in 1838. Seven fishermen of Seahouses put out to the wreck only to find that the survivors had already been rescued by William Darling and Grace Darling, who set out from the lighthouse. The Lifeboat Crew actually put out in a coble, believing that they would be able to get closer to the rocks than they could with the lifeboat. Lifeboats stationed at North Sunderland (Seahouses). Lifeboat
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Launches Lives saved The first motor lifeboat at this station, was the "W.R.A." as detailed above, a 35 foot 6 inch Liverpool Class, non self righting, powered by a 35hp Weyburn AE6 petrol engine. Until then, the boats were powered by oars and sail, and by human strength difficult to imagine today. They were launched by men and women, pulling the launching carriage into the sea and surf. It was not until 1961, that a motor tractor was issued to the station to aid in recovery and launch of the lifeboat. Today, the Tallus tractor can launch and recover the Mersey class lifeboat "Grace Darling" with a minimum of manpower assistance. A Landrover 110 replaced the quad bike used for launching the Inshore Lifeboat and towing the recovery equipment trailer for the Mersey. The Landrover also provides the option of taking the ILB to other launch sites by road, if that is more expedient. Fitted with blue lights and sirens, the vehicles can make progress through the holiday traffic if necessary. See the Vehicles Page. Notable dates in the history of the station. 1853 - Silver medal awarded to John T Knight, coastguard boatman, for his exertions in attempting to rescue the crew of the Schooner Nisus of Goole, which was wrecked at Seahouses during a north-east gale on 26 February. 1876 - Captain Colquhoun presented a full set of fine wheel and trace harness to the station. 1886 - Silver medal awarded to Coxswain Thomas Pringle in recognition of his long and valuable services in the lifeboat. 1894 - Mortar supplied for assembling the crew in lieu of existing bell which was not satisfactory. 1908 - Silver medal awarded to Coxswain James Robson for gallantly rescuing the crew of fourteen from the SS Geir of Bergen on 18 February. 1909 - The King of Norway conferred the Silver medal on Coxswain James Robson for services in rescuing the crew from the ss Geir of Bergen. 1934 - Centenary Vellum awarded to station. 1948 - When Mr E L Hooper was appointed as Honorary Secretary, it was stated that he was one of the men rescued by the Aldeburgh lifeboat from the Magdapur - one of the first lifeboat services of the 1939-45 war. 1959 - Bronze medal awarded to Coxswain Dawson for the rescue of a man from a cliff on the Inner Farne Islands on 12 July. Details of this Rescue. 1964 - D class lifeboat sent to station in May. 1977 - 150th Anniversary Vellum awarded to station. 1991 - Mersey class lifeboat Grace Darling placed on station. A new boathouse was completed in June for the Mersey class lifeboat, after the existing house was considered unsuitable. As well as providing accommodation for the Mersey lifeboat and carriage coupled to the tractor, it includes housing for the D class lifeboat, and crew facilities. 1996 - Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to crew member Stephen Priestley. When at the helm of the D class lifeboat he rescued a wind surfer in heavy seas and surf close to the shore, with a rock scar extending out from the coastline, just north west of the boathouse, on 18 May. 1997 - New D class lifeboat D529 placed on service on 4 November. 1999 - At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the RNLI held on 9 April 1999 it was resolved that the lifeboat station, then North Sunderland, be renamed Seahouses Lifeboat Station with immediate effect, as requested by the station personnel. 2000 - Lifeboat station extended to accommodate a long wheelbase Landrover, which replaced a quad bike, for launching the Inshore Lifeboat and towing the recovery equipment trailer for the Mersey Lifeboat. Read about Bronze Medal and Vellum services Seahouses Lifeboat Webmaster - Email info@seahouseslifeboat.org.uk © Copyright - Seahouses Lifeboat Station 2008 |
