AN historic lifeboat has set sail on the Tyne following a 14-year restoration project by volunteers.

The 101-year-old Henry Frederick Swan is the former Tynemouth motor, sail and oar lifeboat and saw 30 years of service off the North-East coast.

The hard work and skills of the members of North East Maritime Trust (NEMT) in South Shields, enabled the restoration of the lifeboat to her former glory.

Trust members and invited guests, including relatives of former coxswains and crew who served on the Henry Frederick Swan, gathered at NEMT’s workshop in Wapping Street on Saturday to see the boat launched back into the T

The present-day Tynemouth RNLI all weather lifeboat Spirit of Northumberland and inshore lifeboat Little Susie and their volunteer crews were on hand to welcome their ancestor back on to the river Tyne.

The Reverend Phillip Bullock performed a blessing of the boat at the quayside, while the People’s Mission band provided music for the celebration.

The Henry Frederick Swan was the first restoration project undertaken by trust when it was established in 2005 to keep alive traditional wooden boat building and repair skills.