The world’s oldest surviving lifeboat has made its first journey for 55 years, temporarily leaving its home in Redcar, in the north east of England, to undergo renovations that aim to preserve its structural integrity for generations to come.
The Zetland, which was built in 1802 in South Shields and bought by the people of Redcar, saw 62 years of service, saving more than 500 lives before it was retired in 1864. But it was brought out of retirement to effect one last rescue in 1880 when the brig Luna breached Redcar pier, and all seven members of the boat’s crew were saved.
The vessel has lain in its current boathouse at the Zetland Lifeboat Museum and Redcar Heritage Centre since 1907, and this is the first time it has left there since 1963, when it was the centrepiece of the ninth International Lifeboat Conference in Leith, Scotland.
North Yorkshire-based haulage company GCS Johnson carried the boat to AV Dawson, on the banks of the River Tees in Middlesbrough, where Redcar boatbuilder Tony Young will undertake the project.
Marine surveyor
The conservation work will be based on recommendations by marine surveyor National Historic Ships UK. It has been organised by charity Friends of Zetland Lifeboat and paid for by donations.
“The boat is mostly sound, and we will be keeping as much of the original construction as we possibly can," Zetland Lifeboat Museum chair Janette Picknett said. "We will only be undertaking repairs where they are needed to maintain structural integrity, such as replacing any decayed wood.
“Beyond that, the boat will receive a new coat of historically appropriate paint. The Zetland has scars and old repairs that bear witness to her many decades of life-saving work in Redcar, and it’s essential that her unique character is preserved.”
The vessel will then return to its boathouse in Redcar, ready for when the museum reopens in the spring.
