St Abbs Lifeboat Station

St Abbs Lifeboat
[Lifeboat station]
St Abbs Lifeboat Thomas Tunnock and 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°W / 55.8989; -2.1287Coordinates: 55°53′56″N 2°07′43″W / 55.8989°N 2.1287°W / 55.8989; -2.1287
Founded 1911
Owner St Abbs Harbour Trust
Visitation By appointment
St Abbs, Berwickshire

St Abbs Lifeboat Station is an independent marine-rescue facility in St Abbs, Berwickshire, Scotland.

Independent lifeboat

St Abbs Lifeboat the Thomas Tunnock is based in St Abbs

St Abbs Lifeboat Station is run by the independent charity 'St Abbs Lifeboat' (SCIO) registered in Scotland (Charity Number SC046312). The charity aims to operate an independent rescue service outside of the RNLI. Thomas Tunnock & Sons Ltd, a Scottish company, has contributed £260,000 towards the purchase of a new lifeboat to be called the Thomas Tunnock.[1]

The new St Abbs Lifeboat arrived at the station on the 28th July 2016 and was officially named the "Thomas Tunnock" during a naming ceremony on the 17th September 2016. The Thomas Tunnock is an 900W Rigid Inflatable Boat built by MST (Marine Specialised Technology Ltd) based in Liverpool. She has a maximum speed of 47 knots and is one of the fastest lifeboats in the UK.[2]

Specification of Lifeboat

St Abbs Lifeboat - Thomas Tunnock

History as an RNLI Lifeboat Station

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.[3]

In 1911 the station was founded by 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. The station's final all weather lifeboat was a 37-foot Oakley-class, on station from 1964 until 1974 when it was withdrawn having averaged only two launches per year and replaced by an inshore D-class lifeboat as the nearby Eyemouth Lifeboat Station had taken on a new fast Waveney-class boat. Since then the station has had a C-class, B-Class and housed the Dorothy and Katherine Barr II Atlantic 75.

Despite a 13,000 signature petition urging them to reconsider, the RNLI withdrew its lifeboat from the station in September 2015.[4] Following a 5-year study, the RNLI decided to replace St Abbs by supplementing the existing Trent-class lifeboat at Eyemouth, 2 miles away, with an additional D-class RIB.[4][5]

The station's crew received 4 Silver Medals of honour during its service with the RNLI.

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
1974–1975 D-class (RFD PB16) D-110 Unnamed
1976–1978 D-class (Zodiac III) D-235 Unnamed
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
2002–2015 Atlantic 75-class B-783 Dorothy and Katherine Barr II
2015 Atlantic 75-class B-770 The Boys Brigade
2016 - present MST 900W Thomas Tunnock

See also

References

  1. "St Abbs lifeboat replacement to be commissioned by July". BBC News. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  2. "Teacakes toasted at St Abbs lifeboat official launch". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. 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.
  4. 1 2 "St Abbs RNLI lifeboat to be withdrawn despite campaign". BBC News. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  5. Isla Reynolds (2015-09-07). "RNLI withdraws St Abbs inshore lifeboat from the Scottish coast". RNLI. Archived from the original on 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
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