As a part of this, the government approached the RNLI, who agreed to provide a rescue service that covered the tidal Thames between Teddington and the Channel.

These all became operational at the beginning of 2002,[1][2] with Gravesend covering the river from the Thames Barrier at Woolwich to the western end of Canvey Island, a distance of 26 miles.

[3] Gravesend Lifeboat Station commenced service on 2 January 2002, operating with an E-class Tiger Marine fast response boat named Olive Laura Deare.

Previously housed in porta-cabins in a near-by car park, this move improved conditions and helped reduce launch times.

[4][3] Since it was established in January 2002, the Gravesend station has been staffed 24 hours a day on a shift system,[7] helping to meet the requirement to reach 90% of incidents within 15 minutes of receiving an alert.