Sheerness Lifeboat Station in Sheerness, Kent, United Kingdom | Life Saving

In 1969 the Royal National Lifeboat Institution decided to place a Lifeboat at Sheerness on evaluation, the Lifeboat was the "Ernest William and Elizabeth Ellen Hinde " ON 1017. In 1970 the Committee of Management decided to establish the Sheerness Lifeboat Station permanently, provided a satisfactory berth be made available.

There are two Lifeboats at the Sheerness Lifeboat Station, a Trent class All Weather Lifeboat and the smaller D-Class Inshore Lifeboat.  The Trent Class Lifeboat named "George and Ivy Swanson" is 14m in length with a beam of 4.9m and a draught of 1.4m, she is self righting and in the event of a capsize is designed to right in approx 6 seconds.  She is powered by twin MAN D2840 LE 401 diesel engines with a B.H.P of 850 each, has a design speed of twenty five knots and an operational range of 250 nautical miles, she carries approx 900 gallons of fuel and uses approx 80 gallons per hour at full speed.

When on service, she normally carries a crew of 6, who can be safely seated with seat harnesses in the Wheelhouse, she can carry 10 survivors in the cabin with safety belts.

If you would like to volunteer your services to The Sheerness Lifeboat Station, United Kingdom, you will need to have a medical and eyesight examination before starting, but once this is done you will be given all the training you need to make you a competent crew member of one of the Lifeboats at Sheerness, the station is one of the busiest in Kent, you must live or work within 3 miles of the station, if you don't think you are up to the challenge, then you can always become a shore helper.