As the station celbrates its 150th Anniversary, it can now be revealed that the old Hastings Lifeboat will return to join the party |
The "Fairlight" originally arrived at Hastings in 1964. She is a 37-foot Oakley class self-righting lifeboat built in Littlehampton at a cost of £33,000 - the money coming from legacies and public donations. Powered by two 52-horse power diesel engines, she had a top speed of just over 8 knots. This compares with the present Hastings lifeboat "Sealink Endeavour" which has two 285-horse power engines, a top speed of 17 knots, and cost £498,625 to build in 1989.
During the twenty-four years "Fairlight" was stationed at Hastings she launched over 200 times, saving the lives of 144 people. She sailed off into the sunset in 1988, her time at Hastings over. Initially she went to St Ives in Cornwall and then to the RNLI's relief fleet. Eventually she was sold off and in recent years been at Blakeney in North Norfolk, well looked after and regularly used
The present owner was only too happy for "Fairlight" return to Hastings for the 150th celebrations. First the old lifeboat will steam round the coast to Lowestoft in Suffolk. Once there she will then be lifted onto an RNLI low-loader lorry before making her triumphal return to the Hastings on 4th March. Once here RNLI volunteers will treat her to some spit and polish before the celebrations start in earnest on Saturday 5th April.
Peter Adams is the present Lifeboat Operations Manager at Hastings. His father Joe was Honorary Station Secretary for much of the time the boat was here: "My father was responsible for naming the boat. With no single donor a name was needed. He thought of the cliffs and Coastguard station and felt that "Fairlight" was the best choice. It's great to be having the old boat back. She holds lots of memories for many others and me. It will be fantastic to see her back here in Hastings, on the beach alongside our modern lifeboats." |
