• Class – Watson
• ON/Number – 838
• Operational Number – 
• Length – 46 feet
• Beam – 12 feet 9 inches
• Displacement – 20 tons 2 cwt
• Draught – 
• Speed – 8.8 knots
• Propulsion – 2 x 40HP 3 cylinder Ferry engines
• Range – 152 Nautical Miles
• Complement – 8
• Survivor Capacity – 
• Cost – £10,104
• Launches – 25
• Lives saved – 11
• Service Dates – 1 November 1963 to 13 August 1968
• This lifeboat, together with the Gorleston lifeboat Louise Stephens, were paid for from a legacy of the family they were named after.Michael Stephens was one of many little ships used in 1940 to help evacuate British troops from Dunkirk. It ferried soldiers out to bigger ships, initially from the harbour but when that became too difficult, from the beaches. Whilst undertaking this duty in the dark, the Michael Stephens was rammed twice by motor torpedo boats. Although it is not known how many soldiers the Michael Stephens ferried out to the waiting ships, she returned to Dover with 52 soldiers on board.In 36 years service with the RNLI, excluding her Dunkirk involvement, the Michael Stephens launched 182 times and saved 92 lives.Her current owners found the Michael Stephens in 1976 at Crosshaven, County Cork.  It has been restored and has visited ports in Holland, Normandy, Brittany, Ireland, the west, south and east coasts of England and the isles of Scilly.

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