| Maritime museum | Months Open:
Easter - Sept: daily 10am - 5pm
Oct - Easter: Tues - Fri 10am - 4.30pm
Groups/Parties welcome: Yes
Price: Adult: £1.50; Child under 16/OAP: 75p
Gift Shop: Yes
Tel: +44 (0)1843 587 765 |
 | | Ramsgate Lifeboat Station |
Wander along as far as the outer harbour and the West Pier. After enjoying the views turn left towards the Clockhouse. Pass the shower block and when you reach Commercial Quay, look right and you’ll see the Ramsgate Lifeboat Station. Ramsgate has been a lifeboat station since 1802 – a long time before the RNLI was formed. The boathouse you see now was built in 1996 at a cost of £280,000. It has been built to last 100 years. Before this new facility was built the lifeboat service was spread around the harbour with various huts and sheds. | "On average the Ramsgate Lifeboat gets called out 60 times a year." | | Ron Cannon |
Now it’s all in one place and, incredibly, from the moment the maroons are fired to signify a rescue, it takes just 5 minutes during the day to assemble a crew (from 18 members on call, most who work in and around the harbour), man the boat and leave the harbour. At night it’s a bit longer, but still only about 10 minutes.
Lifeboat coxswain Ian Cannon is the present coxswain of the lifeboat. He is one of two paid members of the crew. The other crew are all volunteers.  | | Ramsgate lifeboat: RNLB Esme Anderson |
The Cannons have been keeping the Ramsgate seas safe for generations. Ian took over the mantle from his father Ron who was coxswain for 25 years and part of the RNLI for 39 years.
Ron’s father was the lifeboat mechanic for 17 years. In fact the family connection goes right back to the founding of the RNLI in Ramsgate. And now Ian’s brother Paul is second coxswain. So why have Ron and his family made this huge commitment to the lifeboat service in Ramsgate? It is a job that affects every part of your life as Ian describes: “I’m expected to do a 37 hour week but am on call all day, every day so everything takes a bit more planning. ”If you want to go for a walk you have to make sure it’s not too far away in case you get bleeped or you hear the maroons firing. ”And you have to have an understanding partner who doesn’t mind when you have to leave suddenly when we’re out for a meal or at the cinema. The girls usually go off to the pub when we get the call!”
One particular call out that Ian and Ron remember was when Ian was just 18 years old. The lifeboat attended Radio Caroline which was stuck on the Goodwin sands. If you want to get a closer look at the off-shore boat wander along the pier or click on the video tour at the top of this page where Ian shows us around his boat: the 11-year-old RNLB Esme Anderson.
Plan your walk: tide times  | | Ramsgate Clockhouse |
The harbour bridge which connects the inner and outer harbours is raised two hours either side of high tide. To check the tide times when planning your walk click on the link at the top right of this page. If the bridge is lowered, you can continue your walk past the Marina Office and across the bridge towards the Clockhouse which is now the Maritime Museum. If the bridge is raised you will need to retrace your footsteps back past the Sailor’s Church and up Military Road. You can then follow the harbour back round to Marina Esplanade and back to the car park. If you would like to extend your visit to Ramsgate you can wander along the East Pier to a view point and restaurant at the end or you could visit the old Clockhouse which now houses the Maritime Museum.
The Grade II Clockhouse was completed in 1817 and served as a harbour office. It contained an astronomical clock and a meridian line for ships to set their chronometers. In the early days it was even set to Ramsgate Mean Time.
The walk ends here. | 
Introduction