Whitby's historic lifeboat hand-pulled through seaside streets

An historic lifeboat has been hand-pulled through the streets of a seaside town as crews moved it to a temporary home.

The 103-year-old Whitby lifeboat was on an RNLI pulling carriage and hauled by 24 crew members through narrow streets.

The Rubie class Robert and Ellen Robson lifeboat is usually on display at the town's museum but has been moved while the building is refurbished.

The lifeboat was built in 1918 and served in Whitby from 1947 to 1957.

Her last service was an historic event for the RNLI as it was the last time a rowing lifeboat was used in operational service.

During time in service the lifeboat was mainly launched to escort fishing vessels into harbour in bad weather.

However, one of the more unusual services was on 5 October 1949, when it was used to rescue 17 geology students from Aberdeen University who were cut off on the Black Nab, a rock stack in Saltwick Bay.

Neil Williamson, deputy launch authority for Whitby RNLI, said the boat had not been moved from the museum since 2002.

He added: "Pulling it by hand as it would have been in the past feels like a nod to those who volunteered before us."

The pull was led by former coxswain Pete Thomson MBE whose father served on the lifeboat.

It will be located at Coates Marine while work starts to create a new visitor experience at the museum, which will reopen in September 2022.

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