The "Skynner", 1887-1911, was a 34 ft x 8ft 10 oared self righter, built at a cost of £390, she arrived in Seaham on December 12th 1887.
She saved a record 87 lives during her 24 years at Seaham.
This photograph was taken in 1895, probably in the September to commemorate William Miller (extreme right) taking over from John Marshall Jr. as coxswain in that month.
The new lifeboat house shown here, for a short time No 2 Station, was completed in 1909, the old slipway used by the Skynner was practically dry at low water but here it was possible to launch at any state of the tide down a 150 ft slipway.
The short wave screen was purposely built to protect the lifeboat during launch.
From 1909 to 1911 Seaham had two lifeboats, the old "Skynner" and the "experimental" motorised "Bradford", it was the Bradford which was housed here.
