The boat was of the type they supplied to The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, non-self-righting, as Thomas preferred a more buoyant and stable craft.

At 3:00pm in a storm on 5 January, the 1000 ton American transatlantic vessel Northern Belle was in trouble, and dropped anchor off Kingsgate.

The lugger Victory of Margate with 12 crew made an attempt to reach the vessel, but was hit by an exceptional wave, and to the horror of all those watching, disappeared from view.

On the direction of American President Franklin Pierce, the 21 lifeboatmen from Broadstairs were awarded the United States Presidential Silver Medal For Lifesaving.

James Elyard to be one of the crew of the Broadstairs lifeboat, but even following promotion to Major, duties which required him to relinquish his role of Honorary Secretary, he still took an active part, and remained on the committee.

The lifeboat launched to the aid of the schooner Lion of Goole on 12 March 1876, and managed to save the vessel and crew of four, bringing them to Dover harbour.

For this, and 17 other services, which had resulted in saving 49 lives, Maj. James Elyard, of the 2nd Royal Surrey Militia, was awarded the RNLI Gold Medal.

[1][4] The Samuel Morrison Collins provided exceptional service at Broadstairs, launched 84 times in her 20-years on station, and saving 129 lives.

When completed, the boat was towed to Bristol in extremely poor conditions, and then transited the Avon canal to the River Thames and on to Broadstairs.

[1][2] With the decline in the number of sailing vessels, and with three lifeboats nearby, two at Margate, and one at Ramsgate, it was decided that there was sufficient cover for the area.

Despite an exception service record, launching 269 times in a 62-year period, and saving 275 lives, Broadstairs Lifeboat Station was closed on 18 July 1912.