Registration number 3857
Status Archived
paula.palmer

Previous names

  • 1928 - 1960 Thomas Markby

Details

Function Service Vessel
Subfunction Rescue
Location Rio Dulce
Vessel type Lifeboat - Self Righter Class
Archive reason Overseas Watch List
Current use Community Vessel
Available to hire No
Available for excursions No

Construction

Builder Saunders, S E Ltd, East Cowes
Built in 1928
Hull material Wood
Rig Bermudan
Number of decks 1
Number of masts 1
Propulsion Sail
Number of engines 1
Primary engine type Diesel
Boiler type None
Boilermaker None

Dimensions

Depth
4.59 feet (1.40m)
Tonnage: Gross
12.00
Breadth: Beam
10.83 feet (3.30m)
Length: Overall
41.01 feet (12.50m)

History

Originally launched in 1928 as RNLB THOMAS MARKBY, ON706, AMBLER is a Self-Righter-class single engine lifeboat built for the RNLI by Saunders of East Cowes. She served for nearly two decades at Swanage Lifeboat Station on the south coast of England, braving rough seas and saving lives along the Dorset coastline. 

In 1934, her Assistant Motor Mechanic Robert C. Brown was awarded a Bronze Medal for gallantry after going overboard and holding on to an unconscious man from the yacht HALLY LISE until the THOMAS MARKBY could pick them up. 

In 1943, THOMAS MARKBY was involved in the tragic rescue attempt of CHASSEUR 5, a Free French Navy submarine hunter. For her efforts, which involved the rescue of three crewmembers, the French government awarded medals to each of the crew, with further medals and a prize of 1000 Francs each being awarded to the coxswain, mechanic and bowman by the French Lifeboat Society and the Academy of Political and Moral Service, Institute de France, respectively.

In 1949, she was transferred to the Whitehills Station in Aberdeenshire, and in 1952 she was transferred to the Relief Fleet. THOMAS MARKBY was sold out of service in 1957, after having been launched 87 times and saving 41 lives.

After her RNLI service, she was sold into private hands and renamed AMBLER. Over the decades, she was transformed into a long-distance sailing vessel, crossing oceans and becoming a home to adventurers, artists, and sailors. From the UK to Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, AMBLER carries nearly a century of seafaring stories in her planks. Today, she is undergoing a major wooden hull restoration and historical documentation project — a mission not only to preserve a unique vessel, but to honour a living piece of maritime heritage. The goal is to return AMBLER to the sea in time for her 100th birthday sail back to the UK in 2028.

Key dates

  • 1928

    Launched at Swanage, where she first served

  • 1934

    Assistant Motor Mechanic Robert C. Brown awarded a Bronze Medal for gallantry after going overboard and holding on to an unconscious man from the yacht HALLY LISE until the THOMAS MARKBY could pick them up

  • 1943

    Involved in the tragic rescue attempt of CHASSEUR 5, a Free French Navy submarine hunter. For her efforts, which involved the rescue of three crewmembers, the French government awarded medals to each of the crew, with further medals and a prize of 1000 Francs each being awarded to the coxswain, mechanic and bowman by the French Lifeboat Society and the Academy of Political and Moral Service, Institute de France, respectively

  • 1949

    Transferred to Whitehills station

  • 1952

    Transferred to the Relief Fleet

  • 1957

    Sold out of RNLI service

Own this vessel?

If you are the owner of this vessel and would like to provide more details or updated information, please contact info@nationalhistoricships.org.uk

More like this

being launched

Registered, built 1909 by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Blackwall

Charles Dibdin at Exeter Quayside

Registered, built 1903 by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Blackwall

Henry Frederick Swan off coast

Registered, built 1918 by Saunders Roe, Cowes, Isle of Wight

Girl Guide at Cadgwith

Registered, built 1940 by Rowhedge Iron Works Co Ltd, Rowhedge