Yarmouth Lifeboat Station

Yarmouth Lifeboat station is an RNLI station located in the town of Yarmouth in the English county the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The station has been based in Yarmouth's harbour since 1924. Previously the station had been in Totland Bay, west of Yarmouth, until it was decided that the station need a motor lifeboat. The current Severn-class lifeboat is moored afloat and shore facilities are on the quayside in Yarmouth. The station covers the western Solent with its all weather lifeboat Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) (ON-1249) which has been on service at Yarmouth since 2001.Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer)Eric and Susan Hiscock has a top speed of 25kn and a range of 250nmi. She is operated by a crew of six and is fitted with the latest in navigation, location and communication equipment including electronic chart plotter, VHF radio with direction finder, radar and global positioning systems . The lifeboat has a displacement of 41t and carries a daughter Y-class which is launched and recovered by crane. Having the Y-class enables the crew to make rescues close to shore.Station historyTotland BayThe first established station to cover the western Solent dates from 1879 and was located west of Yarmouth in Totland Bay. To fund this service money was raised by the local Isle of Wight Sunday Schools Committee. The first lifeboat was Dove, manned by local volunteers. In the first five years of the service the lifeboat and her crew proved to be a great success and over that period the lives of 36 people where saved when they were brought ashore. The record of this first lifeboat convinced the RNLI of the need and viability of formalising a service on this part of the Isle of Wight. In 1884 funds were made available to build a lifeboat house and a new lifeboat was sent to the station. This lifeboat was called Charles Luckombe and she was a self-righting pulling lifeboat powered by 12 oars. She was 37ft in length and 8ft beam. She began service at Totland bay in 1885 Charles Luckombe was replaced in 1903 by Robert Fleming, funded in part by a memorial bequest of £1,000 made to the RNLI. The lifeboat was launched by Emily Seely, wife of John Edward Bernard Seely, the local Member of Parliament.