In January 2007 Cullercoats RNLI lifeboat station became the first in the north of England to operate a new class of inshore lifeboat – the Atlantic 85.

Cullercoats was the sixth lifeboat station in the UK to receive an Atlantic 85. The lifeboat, named Hylton Burdon arrived at Cullercoats on Friday 5th January and officially went into service on Tuesday 9th following days of intensive training for the volunteer crew and shorehelpers.

The Atlantic 85 is the most technologically advanced inshore lifeboat in the RNLI fleet. It is the first inshore lifeboat to have radar, which means it can operate more effectively in reduced visibility. It is also faster and bigger than its predecessor, with room for a fourth crew member as well as more space for casualties.

The Atlantic 85 was developed in close consultation with volunteer crews and a prototype was trialled at lifeboat stations around the coast, including Cullercoats, before the final design went into production.

The Cullercoats Atlantic 85 was paid for by a legacy from Wallsend man Hylton Burdon, who died in 2002. It cost around £125,000.