Save The Brothers - ON671 (Ex-Penlee Lifeboat)

Jonathan Banks is organizing this fundraiser.

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Help us Rescue and Restore, Penlee lifeboat stations first motor lifeboat.
The Brothers ON671 served at Penlee from 1922 to 1931 and saved 62 lives in that time.

100 Years of Cornish History and Heritage

This is not just about rebuilding a boat, this is about saving a piece of local Cornish history and heritage.
With so many local connections and stories told and untold, this is part of our local history we could not let go to ruin.

Laid up in Rochester and scheduled to be scrapped, we had to step up and rescue her. So we bought her.

After careful preparation, The Brothers has completed her incredible journey back to Cornwall.
A journey over 4 days that included; being returned to the water for the first time in 3 years, a 4 mile river trip (effectively trying to sink the whole time) accompanied by a tug, lifting back out the water, then a 323 mile journey by road, across the near full breath of the country.
She arrived at Gweek Boatyard on 24th September, just 15 miles from where she first served at Penlee.

Initially we need to fund the storage at the boatyard, where work can begin on diagnosing the extent of the renovations needed, the cost of a Marine Surveyor and the construction of a shelter around The Brothers to protect her from the elements while her restoration takes place.

Why £7500 ?
The cost of her restoration will be greatly more than our initial fundraising target.
However, RNLI records show that, 101 years ago in December of 1919, three Cornish sisters "The Misses Eddy" made "a special contribution..." of £7500 to The RNLI "for the provision of a Motor Life-boat to be called "The Brothers"...".
In today's money that is the equivalent of £390,000.

So to honour the sisters who helped purchase "The Brothers" please help us raise our first £7500

**How Your donations will be used**
Every penny of your donations will go towards the restoration of this historic vessel and you can feel proud, knowing your are helping save 100 years of Cornish heritage So please help us "Rescue she who has rescued so many" and give Life back to a Lifeboat.

As The Brothers was once part of our community, we would love the local community to get involved.
Perhaps you have boat building or other related skills, or perhaps you'd like to learn some. Or even if you'd just like to pop down and see how we're getting on.
If you'd like to volunteer some time, however that may be, please get in touch.