Stonehaven Lifeboat Station

Stonehaven Lifeboat Station
Stonehaven Lifeboat Station
	Stonehaven Lifeboat Station
	Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	Old Pier, The Harbour
Town or city	Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, AB39 2JU
Country	Scotland
Coordinates	56°57′39.0″N 2°12′11.5″W / 56.960833°N 2.203194°W
Opened	1868
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
	Stonehaven RNLI Lifeboat Station

Stonehaven Lifeboat Station is located at Old Pier, in the harbour town of Stonehaven, on the North Sea coast, 14.5 miles (23.3 km) south of Aberdeen, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Stonehaven by the Kincardineshire Lifeboat Association. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1868, operating a lifeboat there until 1934, when the station was closed.^[1]^[2]

The RNLI reopened Stonehaven as an Inshore lifeboat station in 1967, but it was closed in 1984, due to operational inactivity.^[3] Stonehaven's Maritime Rescue Institute would provide a rescue service until 2014, when once again, manangement of the station would pass to the RNLI.^[1]

The station currently operates Jamie Hunter (B-919), a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, on station since 2019.^[2]

History

Stonehaven first received a lifeboat in 1854, when one was presented to the Kincardineshire Lifeboat Association (KLA) by Miss Lydia Ann Barclay, of Aberdeen, a Minister for the Gospel, for the Society of Friends. In 1867, the KLA informed the RNLI, that they wished to place their station under the administration of the Institution.^[1]

A 33-foot (10-oared) self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was placed at the station. A boathouse was constructed just next to the South Pier, costing £203. The lifeboat was named St. George.^[2]^[4]

On 27 February 1874, the Stonehaven lifeboat St George was launched to the aid of the barque Grace Darling of Blyth, Northumberland, which was displaying distress signals, whilst being blown northwards past Stonehaven. Finally catching up with the vessel, the distress flags were taken down, and the barque continued on its voyage. Conditions too rough to return to Stonehaven, the lifeboat made for Aberdeen, but capsized as she crossed the bar, and 4 lifeboatmen were lost. The lifeboat was wrecked.^[5]^[6]^[7]

The Grace Darling was wrecked the following day at Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire with the loss of fourteen of her fifteen crew. A replacement lifeboat was placed at Stonehaven in 1874. A 33-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, named Star, which would serve Stonehaven until 1888.^[2]^[8]

Memorial to the Stonehaven Lifeboat crew of 1874

A new lifeboat would be sent to Stonehaven in 1888. The Alexander Black (ON 147) was a slightly larger 34-foot Self-righting lifeboat. To accommodate the boat, a new boathouse was constructed along Shorehead beyond the South Pier, at a cost of £327, completed in 1890.^[2]^[9]

On 16 December 1911, the schooner Hiskilina of Westerhaven (Groningen), was on passage from Granton, Edinburgh to Germany with a cargo of coal, when she was seen in distress off Stonehaven Bay. The Stonehaven lifeboat Alexander Black was launched at 9:00am. The vessel sank before the lifeboat arrived, but the four crew had managed to get aboard the ship's boat, and were all rescued. The Stonehaven Lifeboat would receive the thanks of the German Government for their actions.^[10]

The Alexander Black would serve at Stonehaven until 1916. In preparation for a replacement lifeboat, yet another boathouse was constructed in 1913, this time on the north side of the harbour at Old Pier. In 1916, a 35-foot self-righting lifeboat was placed at Stonehaven, and named Joseph Ridgway (ON 652).^[2]

In 1934, after 18 years service, the Joseph Ridgway was withdrawn, and sold. With motor-powered lifeboats to the north at Aberdeen, to the south at Montrose, and an existing boat at Gourdon, the station was closed.^[1]^[2]

In 1967, responding to a huge increase in water-based leisure activity seen nationally, the RNLI re-established a station at Stonehaven, placing one of the small fast D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboats at the station. However, with little operational activity, the Inshore lifeboat was withdrawn at the end of the summer season in October 1984, and the station was closed once again.^[3]

Maritime Rescue Institute, Stonehaven

A rescue service would be taken up by Stonehaven's Maritime Rescue Institute, a Scottish Charity, which also provided advisory and training services in marine emergency response and rescue, and research, development and evaluation of SAR services. The charity operated until 2013, when damage sustained in the storms of 2012 forced their closure.^[11]

Operations were taken over by the RNLI. The B-class (Atlantic 75) Alexander Cattanach (B-740) was placed at Stonehaven on trial in 2013, before the assignment of a permanent lifeboat, Jack & Joyce Burcombe (B-762). In 2019, the last Atlantic 75 in Scotland, Miss Betty (B-782), was retired, and replaced with a new Atlantic 85, Jamie Hunter (B-919).^[2]^[12]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Stonehaven.^[1]^[13]

Albert Medal (Second Class)

James Crowden, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard - 1869

RNLI Silver Medal

John Leslie, Master Mariner - 1849

Daniel Sutherland, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard - 1850

John Chaddock, Commissioned Boatman, H.M. Coastguard - 1853

Robert Collison, Master of the William and John - 1853

James Crowden, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard - 1869

Thanks of the German Government

Stonehaven Lifeboat - 1911

Roll of Honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving the Stonehaven lifeboat.^[1]

On service to the schooner Olive on 4 April 1849

Edmund Balls, H.M. Coastguard

Alexander Angus

Lost when the lifeboat St. George capsized entering Aberdeen harbour, having abandoned their rescue attempts of the barque Grace Darling, 27 February 1874.

James Leiper, Coxswain

John Brown, Assistant Coxswain

Alexander Main

James Lees