Lifeboats gather in Torbay to celebrate 200 years of the RNLI

Photos by Julian Barnes and Chris Slack Photography. Video by Adam Slack

Cheered on by hundreds of onlookers, crews from Salcombe, Exmouth, Dartmouth and Teignmouth joined the Torbay RNLI crew on Sunday to celebrate 200 years of saving lives at sea.

Lifeboats gathered in the Bay before embarking in convoy along the Breakwater to Torbay RNLI's berth, where a special ‘Blessing of the Fleet’ ceremony was conducted by the Fishermen’s Mission Area Officer for Devon, Helen Lovell-Smith.

Simon James, one of the Torbay RNLI crew members and organiser of the celebrations, said: “The day has been magnificent. You plan it, you get it all down on paper, but you don’t know until the last minute whether it worked.

“We left here to go to sea at about ten o’clock and there weren’t many people, but as we came back into the harbour, we saw how many people had turned out and it was rammed. I was more than impressed.

“I want to say a big thank you to all the crews across the south Devon coast who have given up their time to be here today and to everyone who’s come to celebrate.”

On Monday, the celebrations continued for the official anniversary with a service at Brixham's All Saints church. Attended by current and retired RNLI Torbay volunteer crews, support staff, families, Bishop James Grier of Plymouth and other local dignitaries, the service began with three minutes of bell ringing by churches across Torbay.

The RNLI revealed that in its two centuries of operating, volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved an incredible 16,028 lives across the southwest. Lifeboats have been launched in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset West Dorset and the Channel Islands 55,912 times, saving 14,967 lives. Additionally, RNLI lifeguards across the region – who became part of the charity’s lifesaving service in 2001 – have responded to 176,585 incidents, saving 1,061 lives.

In total, across the UK and Ireland, 146,452 lives have been saved by the RNLI, equating to an average of two lives saved every day for 200 years.

Founded in a London tavern on 4 March 1824, the RNLI has continued saving lives at sea throughout the tests of its history, including tragic disasters, funding challenges and two World Wars.

Torbay RNLI was established in Brixham in 1866 following one of the nation’s greatest maritime tragedies. Known locally as the 'Great Gale,' a storm hit Torbay on the evening of January 10, 1866, resulting in the destruction of approximately 60 vessels and claiming the lives of about 100 sailors.

Reports from that time suggested that after the storm abated, it was possible to traverse the coastline from Brixham to Paignton by walking across the wreckage of ships.

The only lifeboat at the time of the storm was based in Teignmouth, which had to be hauled ten miles overland to Torquay Strand the next day. For most ships, this was too late.

The tragedy highlighted the urgent need for a lifeboat in the Bay and within months, hundreds of pounds were raised for a station and a new lifeboat: ‘The City of Exeter’.

The story was immortalised in the poem ‘The Great Gale’ by Fisherman Sprat, which was read at the service by MP Anthony Mangnall.

Anthony said: “This is one of those amazing moments where you get to come and see the fantastic work that volunteers do to keep people safe at sea.

“The RNLI is just a living embodiment of the generations of people who have gone to sea to protect those out on the water. This week is a long week of celebration for the 200 years the RNLI has existed, both in Brixham and across the country.

“These guys are an integral part of our community, both for the maritime industries and for the thousands of visitors that we get here every year.”

Torbay’s RNLI station has remained in operation ever since its founding, although vast improvements have been made to its lifeboats and kit – from the early oar-powered vessels to today’s technology-packed lifeboats, which are now built in-house by the charity; and from the rudimentary cork lifejackets of the 1800s to the full protective kit each crew member is now issued with.

More recently, in 2008, Torbay RNLI went to the rescue of the 20-person crew of The Ice Prince, a cargo ship which had got into difficulty in atrocious conditions 31 miles out in the English Channel. Following the rescue, the Torbay RNLI crew involved were recognised for their bravery, receiving the RNLI Thanks of the Institution Vellum award, with Coxswain Mark Criddle receiving the RNLI Silver Medal for Gallantry.

Fishermen’s Mission Area Officer Helen Lovell-Smith, who delivered the ‘Blessing of the Fleet’ service, said: “It’s a proud moment, looking back on the last 200 years of the RNLI.

“The most important part of this event is to come and give thanks and bless past and present crews and what they do for us. When everybody here gave a round of applause when all the boats came in, that was really special.

“It’s been a delight today, and I’m very proud to take part in it.”