The Shirley Jean Adye

Shirley Jean Adye was the first Independent Offshore Lifeboat in the country.

A Liverpool Class Lifeboat Built in 1952 by Groves & Gutteridge, Cowes at Yard No 524. ON906 W Ross McArthur of Glasgow.

The boat was originally fitted with 2 powerful 20hp Ferry Kadenacy FKR3x 3cyl diesel engines.

She is 35ft 6 ins in length and weighs 8 tons 10 cwt

She originally cost £14398.00 to build.

The boat was operational at St Abbs Head from the 7th February 1953 until November 1964 when she was put the RNLI reserve fleet until 1968.

She was used as a fishing boat at Wells from 1969 by David Chase until August 1973 when the then Caister Volunteer Rescue Service purchased her and recommisioned her as a lifeboat.

She served the local Rescue services extremely well and reliably until 1991 when she was replaced by a more modern and faster Lifeboat the Bernard Matthews having saved 57 lives and attended dozens of incidents.

She is now spending her retirement in the old Lifeboat shed at Caister. Courtesey of Alan Baker the owner who restored her and loaned her back to Caister.

Lifeboat Day 1990

She will be the centre piece to a new museum/visitors Centre.

 The pictures below were captured [and are copy right] by George Lillington when the Shirley Jean Adye and her carriage were recently pulled out of the shed to turn them  so  the vessel is now facing bow first to the sea in readiness for the opening of our new Information centre