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www.truckandtrack.com
Winter 2018
Truck and Track
17
BUSINESS NEWS
The world’s oldest surviving lifeboat
has made its first journey for 55 years,
temporarily leaving her home in Redcar
to undergo a programme of sympathetic
conservation, preserving her structural
integrity for generations to come.
As part of a project six years in the planning,
Redcar’s historic Zetland Lifeboat was
loaded onto a Low Loader provided by
Richmond haulage company, G C S Johnson
Ltd, and transported to AV Dawson Ltd
on the banks of the River Tees, where the
conservation work will take place.
Undertaken by respected Redcar boat
builder, Tony Young, the project, which
is conservation rather than restoration,
will be based on the survey and report
of a marine surveyor recommended by
National Historic Ships UK. It will return
to its boathouse at the Zetland Lifeboat
Museum and Redcar Heritage Centre,
ready for when the venue reopens in Spring
2019.
The Zetland Lifeboat was built in 1802 in
South Shields and purchased by the people
of Redcar. She went on to see 62 years of
service, saving more than 500 lives before she was retired in 1864.
The lifeboat was brought out of retirement to effect one last rescue
in 1880 when the brig ‘Luna’ breached Redcar pier – all seven
members of the vessel’s crewwere saved.
The boat has laid in its current boathouse at the Zetland Lifeboat
Museum since 1907. This will be the first time she has left the
museum since 1963 when the Zetland was the centrepiece of the
ninth International Lifeboat Conference in Leith, Scotland.
The project has been organised by the Friends of Zetland Lifeboat,
a registered charity, which is made up of a strong crew of dedicated
volunteers committed to conserving her for another 200 years. The
conservation has beenmade possible by fundraising and donations
by the charity’s supporters.
Zetland Lifeboat Museum chair, Janette Picknett, said: “This is a
project six years in the planning that will preserve the Zetland
Lifeboat for many future generations to enjoy. It was strange to
see her leave the museum, but we know she will be back here soon
thanks to Tony Young’s boatbuilding expertise. The boat is mostly
sound, and we will be keeping as much of the original construction
as we possibly can. 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 hermany decades of life-savingwork in Redcar,
and it’s essential that her unique character is preserved.”
Janette added: “We are very grateful to AV Dawson Ltd, Johnsons
Haulage and Tony Young for all their help. We’d also like to thank
Scott Bros Ltd for assistance given in planning the move. Finally,
many thanks to the Museum Committee and Redcar & Cleveland
Council for their hard work in bringing this project to fruition.”
Museum Secretary, JimVeitch, said: “National Historic Ships UK has
registers that contain approximately 1,300 vessels. Within this,
200 of themost significant vessels form the National Historic Fleet,
of which the Zetland Lifeboat is a member. This illustrates how
important she is, both nationally and internationally.”
Gary Dawson, Managing Director, AV Dawson Ltd, said: “This is a
very special project and one that is of huge historical importance;
when it was brought to our attention that they were struggling to
find a warehouse with an overhead crane in order to carry out their
conservation project we were more than happy to offer one of ours.
It’s quite apt that the oldest lifeboat in the world now comes to one
of the oldest quaysides on the Tees to be restored and conserved for
the enjoyment of many generations to come.”
World’s oldest lifeboat makes first journey in
55 years for life-saving conservation project
Zetland lifeboat and members of AV Dawson and Zetland Lifeboat Museum (LtoR) David Pearson Arthur Smith (ZetlandMuseum
Curator) AndrewWatkins, AV Dawson operations Director, Jim Veitch (ZetlandMuseum Secretary) Janette Picknett (Zetland
MuseumChairperson) Martyn Johnson, George Cuthbert, Philip Boville (ZetlandMuseum Treasurer)