| The following table lists the names of the main lifeboats on station since 1866 together with the service counts. If you require more detail than this summary then please go to the ‘History Books’ page in our Archives where known publications are listed for reference. If you know of others please email as shown. Click on the lifeboat ‘name’ or ‘thumbnail’ to see a larger photograph of the associated lifeboat. |
| For the period 1875 to 1923 Torquay also had a Lifeboat Station located at the ‘Ladies Bathing Cove’ (Now known as Beacon Cove) which is close to the Imperial Hotel. And for nine years from 1887 Dartmouth also had a lifeboat. The Dart Lifeboat Station was established again in 2007 after a gap of 120 years. |
| The Coxswain(s) for each Lifeboat are listed under Coxswains Past and Present in our Archives. |
Brixham Lifeboat
Period
Launches
Lives Saved
City of Exeter
1866-1885
5
1
Brian Bates
1885-1893
3
4
Betsy Newbon
1894-1896
2
0
Betsey Newbon 2
1896-1922
56
46
Torbay Lifeboat (Based at Brixham)
Period
Launches
Lives Saved
Alfred & Clara Heath
1922-1930
39
37
George Shee
1930-1958
245
191
Princess Alexandra of Kent
1958-1975
236
| ALB | ILB |
| 196 | 94 |
Edward Bridges
1975-1995
560
| People | rescued |
| 531 | 161 |
Marie Winston
1996-2001
362
| 476 | 229 |
Alec & Christina Dykes
2001-present
740
| 744+ | 491+ |
Please note Relief ALB Services are included within each Station Lifeboat service period
ALB Lifeboat Services
| Total 1866 – 2016 cont |
| Relief ALB included in total |
| 2248 |
| 334 |
| 2582+ | |
Inshore Lifeboat Services
1964 – 2016 cont
1729
975+
Information supplied to the end of December 2016
Station Totals
4311
| 3133+ |
| + awaits HQ Stats from 2012 |
TORQUAY LIFEBOAT (1876 – 1928) – Station Closed
Period
Launches
Lives Saved
Mary Brundet
1876-1889
11
19
James & Eliza Woodall
1889-1902
3
0
Wighton ON 487
1902 – 1923
11
0
Torquay Harbour Life-Saving Boat
1917 – 1928
1
0
| DARTMOUTH LIFEBOAT (1878 – 1896) – Station Closed | Period | Launches | Lives Saved |
| Maud Hargreaves | 1878 – 1887 | 0 | 0 |
| Henry & Amanda Shaw | 1887 – 1896 | 3 | 0 |
| DART LIFEBOAT – Station Opened 25 October 2007 | Spirit of the Dart (named in 2008) | 2007 onwards | For details follow this link |
| Notes: The ‘Alfred and Clara Heath’ was the first engine powered boat at Torbay. | |
| ‘George Shee’ was the first Brixham lifeboat to lie afloat on the swinging mooring near the Breakwater Hard ‘D Day’ slipways. | |
| The ‘Edward Bridges’ was the last Arun to be constructed from wood. She can now be seen within the Royal National Lifeboat Collection at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham Maritime Museum, CHATHAM, Kent (www.chdt.org.uk). Most of her original equipment has been reinstalled. Whilst viewing this page a recording made at her naming ceremony will run automatically. | |
Torbay Lifeboats 