Yarmouth Lifeboat
A 28ft, Lamb and White lifeboat, named the 'Dove', provided by the Isle of Wight Sunday School Lifeboat Fund was put on station at Yarmouth in 1868; in 1870, this lifeboat was transferred to Totland.
In 1924, the RNLI decided to station a motor lifeboat in the western Solent and Yarmouth Harbour was considered a more suitable location than the Totland Bay station.
The first lifeboat stationed in Yarmouth harbour was the B.A.S.P. a Watson type built by J. Samuel White, presented by four benefactors whose initial composed her name[1]. (B.A.S.P. is now (2020) in the RNLI Chatham Museum.) During her 10 years at Yarmouth she was launched 42 times and saved 30 lives[2].
The late summer 1963 saw a newly designed 48-foot-6-inch Oakley Class lifeboat, the 'Earl and Countess Howe', stationed at Yarmouth, she served there until 1977.
The 'Joy and John Wade' was a new, £200,000, 52 foot Arun class lifeboat stationed at Yarmouth from 1977; her deck, hull and superstructure had been built by Halmatic of Havant and she was fitted out by William Osborne of Littlehampton[1].
In 2001 the 'Joy and John Wade' was replaced by a new Severn-class lifeboat built by FBM Marine, the 'Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wander)', at Yarmouth. The 'Joy and John Wade' had been called out 737 times, saving 256 lives since she arrived on station at Yarmouth in 1977[3].
In 2016 the 'Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wander)' underwent a refit at South Boats IW at Cowes[4].
Although the boats have changed, Yarmouth Harbour continues to be a RNLI station serving the Western Solent and south side of the island.
