Macduff_Lifeboat_Station

Macduff Lifeboat Station

Macduff Lifeboat Station

RNLI Lifeboat Station in Scotland, UK

Macduff Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.

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The current station in Macduff became operational in March 1974 when the Mk1 Barnett-class lifeboat James and Margaret Boyd (ON 913) was stationed there for a trial period of one year. She had previously served at Stornoway for 19 years. In March 1975, the Committee of Management agreed that a permanent station should be re-established.[1]

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 location.

The station is currently equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Skipasund (B-933), funded by a donation from the Skipasund Foundation. Skipasund was officially handed over to the RNLI and named at a ceremony at the lifeboat station on 10 June 2023.

The launch & recovery system at Macduff is unique within the RNLI, being the only station where the boat is stored, launched and recovered from a mobile davit, which is essentially, a HGV with a crane.[1]

History

In 1859, Capt. MacDonald, Commander of H.M. Coastguard, Banff, responded to the RNLI, who at the time were keen to place more lifeboats on the coast of Scotland. With the support of the Banff Harbour Trustees, he gained considerable support locally, and the RNLI placed a lifeboat at Banff in 1860.[2]

The station was officially renamed "Banff & Macduff" in 1902, although it appears to have been known by that name in most publications since 1860.[3]

In 1923, the lifeboat was relocated to Whitehills Harbour, with the name changed to Whitehills Lifeboat Station in 1924.
After 45 years, with lifeboat cover provided by Buckie and Fraserburgh, it was decided to close the Whitehills station in 1969.[3]

For earlier history, please see


The 1969 decision to withdraw the All-weather lifeboat was reversed in 1974, and a station was re-established, but this time located at Macduff. A twenty-year old 52-foot Barnett-class lifeboat was placed on service for one year, followed by a relatively new 2-year old Solent-class lifeboat, 48-016 Douglas Currie (ON 1021), which would serve Macduff for the next nine years.

In 1984, the station closed again briefly, the All-weather lifeboat being withdrawn once again, and replaced with a B-class (Atlantic 21) Inshore lifeboat Guide Friendship II (B-530) in 1985.[1]

Station locations and names

More information Dates, Station Name ...

Macduff lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

More information ON, Op. No. ...

Inshore lifeboats

More information Op. No., Name ...
  1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Station closed until 1973
  2. [N 2]
    Station closed until 1985
  3. [N 3]
    Station reopened as an Inshore Lifeboat Station 1985
  4. [N 4]
    All weather lifeboat withdrawn and station closed 1984

References

  1. [1]
    Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
  2. [2]
    Bruce, Stanley A. (2021). Banff and Macduff Lifeboats, The Early Years, 1860–1877 (PDF). Stanley A. Bruce. pp. 1–99. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  3. [3]
    "Macduff's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  4. [4]
    Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
  5. [5]
    "Skipasund Lifeboat Arrives in Macduff". Skipasund Foundation. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
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