Dungeness Lifeboat

Stuart Adams - Coxswain:

Hello everyone, well another season is about to begin, however looking back to last year it was great to see so many visitors here at the station from home and abroad, especially on our Open Day.

We are so grateful to all of you who come to support us at our events and especially those of you that have held sponsored events on your own and then have donated your proceeds to us… Thank you!

Well, what's new for this year? We have added some new events to this year's fundraising calendar click HERE to see the listing.

The new events cards for 2008 are now available with all the dates and times for the Tea & Coffee days, Band Concerts, Open Day etc., also new tide tables are available as well.

The Souvenir shop will be selling snacks and drinks throughout the year.

Anyway must go now and I look forward to seeing you all again and hopefully new faces as well, so bye for now and keep safe.

Dungeness Lifeboat Station History

After the Providence was moved to New Romney in 1861 there were several shipwrecks. These were mostly dealt with by the lifeboats of Rye and Romney. In 1873 a dreadful collision occurred just off Dungeness, when the ship 'Northfleet' was lost. The public attention which this tragedy attracted because of the heavy loss of life resulted in the reopening of the Dungeness Lifeboat Station in 1874.

The lifeboat 'David Hullet' came on station in that year. During its period of service, it was launched fifteen times, saving twenty-seven lives. It was decided to replace the 'David Hullet', and in 1887 a new self-righting lifeboat, the 'R.A.O.B. 130' arrived at Dungeness.

Because of the number of shipwrecks in the vicinity of Dungeness, the R.N.L.I. decided to send one of its largest self-righting lifeboats to be kept moored afloat to supplement the services of the 'R.A.O.B.'. This was done in 1892 and was called the 'Number 2' boat. The new boat was called 'Thomas Simcox'.

The 'R.A.O.B.' was replaced in 1912 by the 'Mary Teresa Boileau'. The replacement for the number two lifeboat, 'Thomas Simcox', in 1915, had been the 'David Barclay'. It was decided in 1929 to close the number one lifeboat station, which left the number two lifeboat, 'David Barclay', to become known as Dungeness Lifeboat Station.

The 'David Barclay' was succeeded by the 'Charles Cooper Henderson' in 1933. Altogether tthe 'Charles Cooper Henderson' was launched one hundred and seventy-one times and saved sixty-three lives.

The 'Charles Cooper Henderson' was replaced in 1957 by the 'Mabel E. Holland'. In 1977 the 'Rother Class' lifeboat, 'Alice Upjohn' arrived at Dungeness.

She was replaced by the present lifeboat, the 'Mersey Class' lifeboat, 'Pride and Spirit' in 1992 which was a generous gift from Eric and Jean Cass of Virginia Water, Surrey, and cost £658,000 to build and equip.