RNLB Mary Ann Hepworth  

ON.808

On Station 12 Apr 1938 – Nov 1974

RNLB Mary Ann Hepworth was built at a cost of £657510s 3d and funded as a legacy of Walter W, Hepworth, Hessle, Hull. Mary Ann Hepworth was a Watson 41 Class Lifeboat, Self-righting, originally powered by twin 35hp Weyburn AE6 petrol engines and had a cruising speed of 7 knots. In1963 boat was re-engined with two 47hp Parsons Probeagle diesels engines.    

During her career at Whitby, RNLB Mary Ann Hepworth launched 372 times and saving 201 lives in total.

The boat was sold out of service in July 1974 to WJ Aldiss, Sparrow Hill, Hinderingham, Fakenham, Norfolk for the sum of £8437.

In 1985, Whitby Lifeboatman Barry Sneddon purchased Mary Ann Hepworth and brought her back to Whitby. Barry repainted the boat in her original Lifeboat livery and ran pleasure trips out of Whitby until 2019 when she sold for £7100 to a new owner who took the vessel to the Humber.

Curators Note – Mary Ann Hepworth was sold on eBay inSept 2022 for a reported sum of £7300.  

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