Macduff Lifeboat Station
Macduff Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) marine-rescue facility in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. The current lifeboat station in Macduff became operational in March 1974 when the Mk1 Barnett Class lifeboat The James and Margaret Boyd was stationed there for a trial period of one year. In March 1975 the Committee of Management agreed that a permanent station should be established.
| Macduff Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Macduff Lifeboat Station with lifeboat Lydia Macdonald on display next to the Scania launch vehicle | |
  Macduff, Scotland | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | Laing Street Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland AB44 1RD, UK |
| Country | Scotland, UK |
| Coordinates | 57°40′21.7″N 2°29′39.5″W |
| Opened | 1860 |
| Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
The lifeboat station in this part of Aberdeenshire has been located in various locations in Banff & Macduff and between 1923 and 1969 the station was located in Whitehills, three miles to the west of Macduff. Supporters and volunteers treat the station as 'one' regardless of the locations over the years.
The station is currently equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat, B-804 the Lydia Macdonald. The launch & recovery system at Macduff is unique within the RNLI, being the only one where the boat is stored, lanched and recovered from a mobile davit, that is an HGV with crane.
History
The idea for a station at Macduff was first brought forward at a RNLI Committee Meeting held in Banff on 1 December 1859. The decision to proceed was taken the following March, and the station became operational in August 1860.[1] The first station was built at Banff Harbour and is noted as being a substantial granite building, about 40 feet long, and 18 feet wide within the walls, and which cost about £140.
In July 1866 at a meeting of the Local Committee of the Royal National Life Boat Association, it was unanimously agreed that the lifeboat station be moved from Banff Harbour to Palmer Cove on the East side of Banff Bay.
In 1877 the lifeboat station was relocated again, to a building at the east side of Banff Bridge. This building still stands and is now a house and business premises. On the seaward gable end you can clearly see three stones carved with RN - 1877 - LBI.
In 1902, the station was renamed 'Banff & Macduff' it kept this name until 1923 when it was relocated to Whitehills. In 1924 the name of the station was changed to Whitehills, to reflect the new location.
The move from Macduff to Whitehills was made because over the years, the fishermen of Banff & Macduff, were fishing further away and were not available to crew the lifeboat if required. The fishermen in Whitehills however, fished a lot closer to home, making them more available to crew the lifeboat.
Station Locations & Names
| Dates | Station Name | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 - 1867 | Banff | Deveronside/High Shore | |||
| 1867 - 1877 | Banff | Palmer Cove Macduff | |||
| 1877 - 1902 | Banff | Banff Bridge | |||
| 1902 - 1922 | Banff & Macduff | Banff Bridge | |||
| 1922 - 1923 | Banff & Macduff | Whitehills | |||
| 1924 - 1969 | Whitehills | Whitehills | |||
| Station Closed | |||||
| 1973 - Present | Macduff | Macduff | |||
Inshore lifeboats
| Dates in service | Class | Op. No. | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-1989 | Atlantic 21 | B-532 | Guide Friendship II | |
| 1989 -2006 | Atlantic 21 | B-578 | The Rotary Club of Glasgow | |
| 2006-present | Atlantic 85 | B-804 | Lydia Macdonald |
All Weather Boats
| Dates in service | Class | ON | Op. No. | Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860-1870 | 36ft eight oars | John Zell | |||
| 1870-1888 | 32ft pulling with Ten Oars | John and Sarah | |||
| 1888 | Help For The Helpless | ||||
| 1910-1932 | 35ft ten oars self-righting Oar & Sail boat | George and Mary Berrey | |||
| 1932-1948 | 35ft 6in Self-righting | ON 756 | Civil Service No.4 | Damaged beyond repair on service 16/6/1948 | |
| 1948-1949 | 35ft 6in Self-righting | ON 746 | William Maynard | ||
| 1949-1952 | Self Righting Motor | ON 706 | Thomas Markby | ||
| 1952-1959 | 41ft Watson-class lifeboat | ON 897 | St. Andrew, Civil Service No. 10 | ||
| 1959-1961 | 45ft Watson-class lifeboat | ON 716 | Sarah Ward and William David Crossweller | ||
| 1961-1969 | 47ft Watson-class lifeboat | ON 959 | Helen Wycherley | Launched only 11 times whilst on station. | |
| 1974–1975 | Barnett-class | ON 913 | James & Margaret Boyd | ||
| 1975–1984 | Solent-class | ON 1021 | 48-016 | Douglas Currie | |
References
- "Station history". RNLI. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
External links
- Macduff Lifeboat Station
- Macduff Lifeboat Facebook Page.