A 28ft, Lamb and White lifeboat built provided by the Isle of Wight Sunday School Lifeboat Fund was put on station in 1868; in 1870, this lifeboat was transferred to Totland.
In 1924, the RNLI decided to station a motor lifeboat in the western Solent and Yarmouth Harbour was considered a more suitable location than the Totland Bay station.
Although the boats have changed, Yarmouth Harbour continues to be a RNLI station serving the Western Solent and south side of the island.