World's oldest surviving lifeboat leaves Redcar for conservation work

The craft, built by Henry Greathead, considered as the father of the lifeboat, is to undergo sensitive conservation work by local boat builder Tony Young in a storage shed donated by a local transportation company.

The Zetland served Redcar for many years even before the foundations of the RNLI were laid in 1824, and remained in service until 1864. It was credited with saving over 500 lives during that time.

At the end of its operational life, the Zetland was given to the people of Redcar, who banded together to raise £100 to have the lifeboat repaired in South Shields.

In 1907, the Zetland was moved to what was by then a disused lifeboat station overlooking the sea a few hundred metres from the town's current RNLI base. This became the Zetland Lifeboat Museum and was for many years supported by the RNLI before its running was handed back to the people of Redcar in 2015.

In 1963 the Zetland was taken from the museum and transported to Edinburgh where it was the centrepiece of the International Lifeboat Conference.

Dave Cocks, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Redcar RNLI, said: ‘Although we don’t have a formal link with the Zetland any more, we are all part of the same lifeboat family that goes back to 1802, and I’m pleased that the lifeboat is still being looked after.

‘Our present-day crew is based on a long heritage of lifesaving. Indeed current crew members have family connections that go back to the earliest crew who manned the Zetland.

‘We’re all looking forward to seeing Zetland back where it belongs, looking out to sea, with the spirits of the old crew members looking out for our newest.’

Ends

Notes to editors:

Redcar lifeboat station has been operating since 1802

Redcar currently operates a B-class lifeboat named Leicester Challenge III, paid for by the people of Leicester, and an IB1-class lifeboat named Eileen May Loach-Thomas, paid from the legacy of the late Mr Nick Thomas of Shropshire

For more news, information and images go to www.redcarlifeboat.org.uk. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redcarrnli and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RedcarRNLI

Any images used should be credited as indicated

RNLI media contacts:

For more information please contact Dave Cocks, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager on 07894 558 483. Alternatively, contact Clare Hopps, RNLI Press Officer, North 07824 518641 or at [email protected], or contact RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789; [email protected]

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