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East Cowes Town Council to celebrate two centuries of boat building

Lifeboats News Release

Cowes and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight have a long history of boat building going back to the early 1800s.

Picture of a display board illustrating some of the lifeboats built in East Cowes

RNLI/Lesley Myland

Display board showing some of the lifeboats built in East Cowes
Much of this history is intertwined with the RNLI and 7 boatyards on the River Medina, built an estimated 400 RNLI lifeboats over 170 years; a boatbuilding tradition that is continued by the East Cowes RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre which has produced some 1400 boats since it opened in 1963.

The East Cowes Town Council and the Heritage Centre (8 Clarence Road, East Cowes PO32 6EP), supported by the Isle of Wight Lifeboat Board, are celebrating the towns two centuries of boat building alongside the RNLI 200 celebrations and joint events will be taking place as summer gets nearer. The photo is just one of the displays the Heritage Centre has created to tell of the towns boat building tradition and its links with the RNLI. For further information on the East Cowes Heritage Centre, visit: https://www.isleofwightsociety.org.uk/heritage.aspx

For further information about the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, visit RNLI.org/200.

The Isle of Wight Lifeboat Board was formed on 15 December 1859 to raise funds and call for the establishment of the Island’s first RNLI lifeboats at Brook and Brighstone. For RNLI 200, it has created additional events and activities which will commemorate the rescues of the past, celebrate the work of today’s Lifeboat crews, and importantly, inspire the support and participation needed for the future.

To mark the bicentenary of the RNLI, the Isle of Wight RNLI Lifeboat Board has invited entries from all the Island Schools to build a “Mini-Lifeboat” with curriculum-appropriate tasks for Key Stage 1, 2 or 3 classes. Not only should this prove to be a valuable team building exercise, but children will also learn important water safety lessons and about the work of the RNLI.

Additionally, amateur photographers - of all ages - are invited to submit digital images on the theme of “Island Seas – Splendour and Safety” to the Lifeboat Board’s dedicated RNLI website page by 31 July 2024. The winners and their families will be invited on a bespoke tour of a lifeboat station as well as having their successful pictures on public display.

Isle of Wight events include an Open Day at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre in East Cowes on Sunday 26 May, with demonstrations and entertainment. For more information on all of the Lifeboat Board activity visit: https://www.isleofwightlifeboatboard.org.uk/

Notes to Editors

  • Statistics from RNLI Operational Data from 4 March 1824 to 31 December 2023 inclusive. A life saved shows how many of the people helped by the RNLI would have lost their life had the RNLI not been there.

  • Click here to access the RNLI 200th anniversary media pack, which contains a selection of RNLI archive images from key points in the charity’s history, an RNLI history timeline, and a film of ‘200 years in 200 seconds’ – all of which can be downloaded.

Media contacts

Mike Samuelson (Lifeboat Press Officer, Bembridge RNLI & PR contact for the Isle of Wight Lifeboat Board) on 07785 593254 / [email protected]

or the RNLI press office on 01202 336789 / [email protected].

RNLI online

For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.

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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 more than 146,000 lives.

RNLI at 200

On 4 March 2024, the RNLI celebrates 200 years of saving lives at sea – thanks to volunteers giving their time to save others, all funded by voluntary public donations. Throughout its 200th anniversary year, the charity is running events and activities to commemorate its history, celebrate the lifesaving service it provides today, and inspire generations of future lifesavers and supporters. For more information visit RNLI.org/200.

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.