Heritage
One lifeboat’s second life
Some RNLI lifeboats can venture up to 250 nautical miles offshore – but few reach as far as South America!
Built in 1927, E.M.E.D was constructed from teak, mahogany, and oak. With twin engines and capacity for up to 100 people, it was a formidable lifesaver.
E.M.E.D launched 185 times and saved 215 lives before retiring from the fleet in 1953. Among its most celebrated moments was its participation in Operation Dynamo in 1940, when it became one of the famed little ships of Dunkirk. It made two crossings to evacuate stranded troops and endured three enemy attacks from the German Air Force. Though the boat returned damaged, with a rope caught around the propeller, it survived where others did not – tragically losing a Royal Navy officer in the process.
In 1956, the boat found a new life in Chile, with the Volunteer Corps of Lifeboats Valparaíso. Renamed Capitán Christiansen, the lifeboat went on to serve the Chilean coast for another four decades, saving hundreds more lives. In recognition of its role at Dunkirk, it was awarded the Dunkirk Jack Flag in 1993. The vessel was finally decommissioned in 2001, having provided 72 years of lifesaving service across two continents.
Now, after two decades in storage, the Capitán Christiansen has been moved to its final home – on display at the entrance of the Museo Marítimo Nacional in Valparaíso. The museum will restore the boat while honouring its rich and courageous history.
Watch our short film tracing the Capitán Christiansen’s extraordinary journey.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Volunteer Corps of Lifeboats Valparaíso – a huge congratulations to them for this remarkable milestone.
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