This museum houses our oldest surviving lifeboat, the Zetland. Built by Henry Greathead as The Original in 1802, the Zetland was a clinker-built, double-ended rowing boat requiring a crew of 13–20 to power her. Crewed by the fishermen and local pilots of Redcar she saw service for some 80 years, saving 500 lives.
Download the Zetland factsheet.
The museum uses life-like figures and models to bring to life rescue stories off the north east coast. Upstairs showcases lifesaving equipment, past and present, and a reconstruction of a fisherman's sitting room. The Laurie Pickett Gallery displays photographs and postcards of old Redcar and her lifeboat crews, highlighting the town's history as a seaside attraction from Victorian times.