Hope Cove Life Boat
Hope Cove Life Boat (based in Hope Cove, Devon) was formed in 1878 and is a voluntary search and rescue service that operates an inshore rescue boat in the Bigbury Bay area. History In 1878 The Royal National Lifeboat Institution established a lifeboat station at Hope Cove provided by The Freemasons of England. The land for the boat house was donated by the Earl of Devon. Replacement boats were supplied in 1887, 1900 and 1903 and all four lifeboats were named Alexandra. The station was closed in April 1930 by which time the neighbouring station at had been equipped with a motor lifeboat which could cover Bigbury Bay. From 1992 a rescue boat was based in Inner Hope and manned by volunteers under the management of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as part of the Cliff Rescue Team (CRT). The decision was made in 2010 that the MCA would no longer maintain any rescue boats in the UK. Current operation The Under Secretary for Transport recognised the ongoing need for this sea rescue facility in Bigbury Bay and gave the village the opportunity to run an independent lifeboat. A public meeting was held in the village and unanimous support