North Deal Lifeboat Station was a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located on Beach Street (now No. 13 The Marina) in the seaside town of Deal, Kent, England. It operated from 1865 until its closure in September 1932.
History
A lifeboat was first stationed at North Deal by the RNLI in 1865. It was one of three stations — along with Walmer and Kingsdown — placed along just three miles of coastline to cover the treacherous Goodwin Sands, a 10-mile-long sandbank a few miles off the Kent coast responsible for hundreds of shipwrecks. The decision to add stations north and south of Walmer came after it was found that, in certain wind and tide conditions, the Walmer lifeboat struggled to reach vessels in distress.
The first lifeboat, a 40-foot "Pulling and Sailing" (P&S) vessel with sails and 12 oars, was built by Forrestt of Limehouse and arrived on 15 February 1865. A boathouse was constructed on the north side of Deal by Denne & Wise at a cost of £350. The boat was named Van Kook, a reference to the Dutch patrons of marine artist Edward William Cooke, who had donated £200 towards the lifeboat.
In 1883, road reconstruction outside the station prevented access to the boathouse, necessitating the construction of a new boathouse at a cost of £439-2s-10d.
Notable Rescues
On 11 November 1877, the Van Kook rescued the crew of the French brig D'Artagnan aground on Brake Sands, and then went on to rescue 11 men and the captain's wife from the Hedvig Sophia. On 1 December 1877, the same boat rescued 22 people from the full-rigged vessel Crusader. Coxswain Robert Wilde was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for these services — the first of ten Silver Medals awarded to North Deal lifeboatmen.
In January 1919, the North Deal lifeboat rescued the crew of the American Government steamer Piave (6,000 tons, crew of 96), which had run aground on the Goodwin Sands. Coxswain William Adams was awarded a Gold Watch and Chain by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, and the entire crew received the United States Presidential Lifesaving Gold Medal.
Closure
With a motor-powered lifeboat due to arrive at Walmer, North Deal Lifeboat Station was closed in September 1932. Over 67 years of service, the station had carried out 420 launches and saved 859 lives. The lifeboat on station at the time, the Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) (ON 552), was retired and sold; it was last reported as a yacht in 2019. The lifeboat house still stands and is currently used by the Deal Angling Club (1919).
North Deal Lifeboats
| ON | Name | Built | On Station | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-449 | Van Kook / Mary Sommerville | 1865 | 1865–1887 | 40-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 178 | Mary Sommerville | 1886 | 1887–1888 | 40-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 227 | Mary Sommerville | 1888 | 1888–1905 | 42-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 552 | Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) | 1905 | 1905–1932 | 43-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 399 | Frances Forbes Barton (reserve) | 1896 | 1915–1921 | 40-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
Awards
- RNLI Silver Medals: Awarded to Coxswains Robert Wilds, Richard Roberts, William Adams, and William Stanton, among others.
- RNLI Bronze Medal: Awarded to Coxswain William Stanton (1919).
- United States Presidential Lifesaving Gold Medal: Awarded to the entire crew for the Piave rescue (1919).
- Gold Watch and Chain: Presented by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to Coxswain William Adams (1919).
See Also
- Walmer Lifeboat Station
- Kingsdown Lifeboat Station
- List of RNLI stations
- List of former RNLI stations
