Culmer White

The Culmer White was a 19th century lifeboat of the Isle of Thanet.

With the resounding success of the ‘Mary White’ in 1851 and the subsequent presentation of the ‘Culmer White’ in 1853 soon afterward both the Coastguard and the R.N.L.I. were equipping their stations with White’s boats, from these humble origins and a developing reputation White’s boatyard grew to become John Samuel Whites of Cowes, a flourishing tradition developed which lasted well into the 1960’s with 134 White’s Lifeboat’s ordered, completed and delivered.

Whites patented lifeboats featured a “double skin of planking with waterproof material in between”, on the whole “a fine example of skillful craftsmanship” ~ regrettably however they would not ‘self~right’.

Ironically, John White declared, a lifeboat “has no reason to capsize at all and there is no reason why she should”.

The first of these cost some £116/~, it was sent to Cardigan, on the Welsh coast. Following Thomas White’s lead, the first Ramsgate Lifeboat was installed in 1852, this was to be called ‘The Northumberland’, and built by James Beeching, for the Ramsgate Harbour Commission.

It was not until 1857 that Walmer at Deal received its first official Lifeboat, from the Royal Thames Yacht Club. All of these preceded the RNLI craft that are now such a familiar part of our coastal heritage. It is clear from the many boats given over to the service of rescue just how dangerous an area of the coast the Goodwin Sands were considered to be.

The Culmer White achieved everlasting renown amongst historians of the lifeboat service in 1857 with its sister boat on the occasion of the rescue of the Northern Belle.