Martin Brockman, An RNLI heritage education volunteer, takes you through an emotional audio visual journey of the evolution of lifeboats around Mount’s Bay, from the wooden rowing boats of the 1800’s to the last of the wooden motor lifeboats in the 1980’s. The presentation touches on some of the most incredible and memorable rescues ever made by the RNLI that happened here right on our doorstep!
The SS Suevic is the largest rescue in that institution’s 201-year history. RNLI lifeboats from stations at the Lizard, Cadgwith, Coverack and Porthleven, rescued all the passengers, including 70 babies, as well as the crew. The rescue was undertaken using nothing more than four open wooden lifeboats each rowed by six oarsmen. The operation took 16 hours to complete, and despite the difficult conditions, not a single life was lost. Henry Trengrouse after watching the HMS Anson foundering on Loe Bar and the terrible loss of life so close to the shore developed a rocket-line rescue system. A system so ingenious that modern day rocket line rescues are still based on…
And of course the Penlee lifeboat disaster in December 1981 when the crew of the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne were lost attempting to rescue the crew and passengers onboard the stricken coaster, Union Star.

Martin comes from a RNLI family, his dad, Nigel, was one of the crew of the ill-fated ‘Solomon Browne’ Lifeboat when Martin was just 10 years old. Martin’s Brother Neil was a crew member of the ‘Solomon Browne’ and was turned away on that night, only to remain as crew for the RNLI for over 30 years, 16 as a decorated Coxswain at Penlee.