Boat House Open 2 - 4pm Daily - Free to enter
OUR HISTORY
1867
The crew of the Norwegian Barque Egbert was rescued by the fishermen of Bembridge in an ordinary open boat. At the same time, the Nab Lightship had been removed to a greater distance from the shore.
Bembridge needed a lifeboat.
In July 1867 the Committee of the RNLI decided to base a lifeboat at Bembridge using £524 donated to the RNLI by the citizens of Worcester. The lifeboat was named for its donors, the City of Worcester, and was delivered in October of that year. In November she was called out for the first time, in rough weather, to assist the brig Bessie, of Sunderland, seen to anchor dangerously nearby.
(She was guided safely into Bembridge Harbour, the RNLI later awarding
£7 4s 0d to the lifeboat crew.
In the beginning 1867
The RNLI placed a lifeboat at Bembridge because of the removal of the Nab Light Vessel to a greater distance from the shore and as a result of the rescue of the crew of the Norwegian Barque Egbert by the fishermen of Bembridge in an ordinary open boat.
In July 1867 the Committee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution decided to base a lifeboat at Bembridge using £524 donated to the RNLI by the citizens of Worcester. The lifeboat was named for its donors, the City of Worcester, and was delivered in October of that year. In November she was called out for the first time, in rough weather, to assist the brig Bessie, of Sunderland, seen to anchor dangerously nearby. (She was guided safely into Bembridge Harbour, the RNLI later awarding £7 4s 0d to the lifeboat crew).
[The Life-boat, January 1868 (6/67)]
The first lifeboat was launched off a carriage with the aid of oil flares on nights, and messages had to be passed by foot messenger or a man on horseback.
The first Lifeboat house was constructed the same year, for £165.
Want to know more?
Britain's lifeboat service was founded in 1824 by Sir William Hillary as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life by Shipwreck. In 1854 the Institution's name changed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
All our detailed history is laid out in chronological order within our Boat House.