Clive Oldham made the RNLI his chosen charity during his year as master of the Norfolk town's St Winnold Lodge.
Mr Oldham and members of his family had breakfast with some of Hunstanton's volunteer RNLI crew before a tour of the station on Sunday 25 June.
They were joined by John and Carole May, who bid more than £100 for the VIP tour, which was one of the prizes in a charity auction organised by the lodge.
'My wife's grandfather drowned at Southend in 1947 and the lifeboat went out to recover his body', said retired engineer Mr May, 83.
'Ever since we got married we've been donating, we've always supported them because of what they did.'
Mr and Mrs May were shown around the station's hovercraft and lifeboat houses by Lifeboat Operations Manager Rigil Kent.
They also toured the station's operations room and found out more about the work of the crew and the roles of some of the many volunteers who help keep them ready to launch 24/7, whenever they are needed.
Retired NHS worker Mrs May, 80, said: 'It makes you realise how much of their own time all these people give.
'The crew go out in all weathers and everything has to be maintained and checked afterwards.'
Afterwards, Mr Oldham's granddaughter Scarlett, aged nine, presented a cheque for £3,200
Mr Kent said: 'They're raised £3,200, which is a phenomenal effort. They really enjoyed the tour and it was great to be able to thank them in person for thinking about us.'
Notes to editors
The pictures shows Scarlett Oldham, aged nine, presenting a cheque to Hunstanton RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Rigil Kent.
Picture credit: Chris Bishop/Hunstanton RNLI.
RNLI media contacts
Chris Bishop, Deputy Press Officer, Hunstanton RNLI 07584 147219
Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Officer, North East & East 07824 518641
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.