St Abbs Lifeboat Station

St Abbs Lifeboat Station
RNLI Lifeboat station
St Abbs Lifeboat Station
Country Scotland, UK
State Berwickshire
Village St Abbs
Location Middle Pier, St Abbs, Berwickshire, Scotland, UK
 - coordinates 55°53′56″N 2°07′43″W / 55.8989°N 2.1287°WCoordinates: 55°53′56″N 2°07′43″W / 55.8989°N 2.1287°W
Founded 1911
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Visitation By appointment
St Abbs, Berwickshire

St Abbs Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) marine-rescue facility in St Abbs, Berwickshire, Scotland.

A campaign to found a lifeboat station in the port was started after the sinking of the S.S Alfred Erlandsen and the loss of crew in 1907 on rocks, known as the Ebb Carrs, near the shore of the village. Lifeboats were launched from Dunbar Lifeboat Station and Eyemouth but took too long to reach the wreck and all 17 crew members were lost.[1]

In 1911 the station was founded by the RNLI with the formation of a slipway and the campaign organiser Jane Hay was made secretary of the station in recognition of her effort. The boathouse, still in use today, was added later in 1915.[2] The station's final all weather lifeboat was a 37ft Oakley-class, on station from 1964 until 1974 when it was withdrawn having averaged only two launches per year and replaced by an inshore D-class lifeboat as the nearby Eyemouth station had taken on a new fast Waveney-class boat. Since then the station has had a C-class, B-Class and now houses the Dorothy and Katherine Barr II Atlantic 75.[2]

The stations crew have received 4 Silver Medals of honour during its service.

Fleet

Dates in service Class ON Op. No. Name Launches/saved
1911–1936 38ft Watson-class ON 603 Helen Smitton 27/37
1936–1949 Liverpool-class Single engine ON 792 Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest 28/73
1949–1953 Liverpool-class Twin engine ON 872 J.B. Couper of Glasgow 4/1
1953–1964 Liverpool-class Twin engine ON 906 W. Ross MacArthur of Glasgow 32/13
1964–1974 37ft Oakley-class ON 974 37-07 Jane Hay 20/8
1974–1979 D-class D-
1979–1986 C-class C- Unnamed
1986–2001 Atlantic 21-class B-572 Dorothy and Katherine Barr
2001–2002 Atlantic 21-class B-579 Institute of London Underwriters
2002–2002 Atlantic 21-class B-568 Burton Brewer
2002–present Atlantic 75-class B-783 Dorothy and Katherine Barr II

References

  1. ↑ Berwickshire News (10 October 2007). "The loss of the Alfred Erlandsen 100 years ago led to lifeboat station for St Abbs". Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "St Abbs History". RNLI. Retrieved 10 January 2014.

External links