Anstruther Lifeboat Station

Anstruther Lifeboat Station
General information
Town or city	Anstruther
Opened	1865

Anstruther Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located in the town of Anstruther, Fife. The station has been in operation since 1865, although RNLI activity in the area dates back to 1832. The station houses the all-weather Mersey-class lifeboat 12-17 Kingdom of Fife (ON 1174) and inshore D-class lifeboat Akira (D-802) ^{[1] [2] [3]}

History

Prior to the establishment of a station, a number of RNLI medals were awarded to coastguards operating in the area. In 1832 the coastguard Kenneth McCulloch was awarded the silver medal for saving the three crew of the sloop Vine when it was wrecked at Elie harbour on the 6 March that year. In 1834 two separate rescues were recognised. The Gold Medal bar was awarded to Lt Henry Randall and a Silver Lifeboat to Kenneth McCulloch for rescuing the seven crew of the schooner Wanderer when it was wrecked at Elie in a storm in the preceding year. Silver medals were also awarded to two other coastguards, A Murray and J Mason, for saving the five crew of the schooner John when it got into trouble during bad weather in December 1833. ^[2]

The first station was established in the town in 1865 at the request of local fishermen on land given by the Anstruther harbour board. Between them they subscribed £60 (equivalent to £6,103in 2021) towards the cost of building the new station. The RNLI supplied the local arranging committee with a 32 foot long pulling lifeboat with 10 oars. This was built from a £600 gift to the institution (equivalent to £61,031in 2021) from a lady in Cheltenham. In 1892 the RNLI local inspector found there was no need to employ a paid bowman for the lifeboat as the station at that time had six volunteer coxswains and a full crew to staff it, by 1899 the number of coxswains had reduced to four. Up until 1897 the station had used a mortar to alert the volunteer crew, however this was deemed too dangerous to vessels in the harbour so a handbell was used from that point on. ^[2]

In 1904 a new lifeboat house was constructed costing over £1,600. Around this time a new Coxswain Superintendent was appointed to replace the numerous coxswains who has operated the station before on a rotating basis. ^[2]

In 1965 a new Oakley-class lifeboat was sent to the station. It was named The Doctors in a ceremony by Princess Alice in memory of the family of Dr Nora Allan who had gifted the cost of the lifeboat. At this time the station was re-adapted for the new lifeboat, a trailer and tractor. The Doctors was withdrawn from the station after 26 years and was replaced by a Mersey-class lifeboat in 1991 – at this time the slipway was refurbished and the boathouse extended and modernised. Further modifications were made to the boathouse in 1995 with a two-storey extension providing new crew facilities. ^[2]

Former Oakley class boat The Doctors (right) under restoration in 2007

Alongside the all-weather Kingdom of Fife, the D-class (EA16) lifeboat Global Marine commenced a 12-month trial in 2003.

In 2009, the station was again upgraded at a cost of £273,000, to provide permanent housing for the D-class (IB1) Inshore Lifeboat The Rotary Centenary Queen (D-667). ^[2]

In 2013 the volunteer lifeboat helmsman Barry Gourlay, a mechanical engineer, received the RNLI Bronze Medal and volunteer crew members fisherman Euan Hoggan and PhD student Rebecca Jewell received thanks on vellum for a rescue of two people in difficult sea conditions. MV Princess had run onto rocks near Crail in the early hours and was breaking up in a force 5 winds, heavy rain and a three-metre swell. The volunteer crew used the in-shore lifeboat, later transferring the casualties to Kingdom of Fife. The RNLI stated in the award ceremony in London that the volunteer had "undoubtedly" save the lives of the stricken crew. ^{[2] [4]}

2016 saw the arrival of a replacement D-class (IB1) Inshore Lifeboat Akira (D-802). ^[5]

In 2019 it was announced that the RNLI planned to build a purpose-built new facility further along the shoreline that will be capable of housing a Shannon-class lifeboat. ^[6] The Anstruther crew featured on a BBC documentary Saving Lives At Sea in 2019. ^[7]

Anstruther Lifeboats

All-Weather Lifeboats

ON [lower-alpha 1]	Op. No. [lower-alpha 2]	Name	In service [5]	Class	Launches [8]	Lives Saved [8]	Comments
–	–	Admiral Fitzroy	1865–1888	32 foot pulling lifeboat	13	18
164	–	Royal Stuart	1888–1904	34 ft Self-Righting (P&S)	5	0
521	–	James and Mary Walker	1904–1933	38 ft Watson (P&S)	15	46	As of 2020 [update] , being restored for display [9]
764	–	Nellie and Charlie	1933–1950	Liverpool	54	72
876	–	James and Ruby Jackson	1950–1965	Liverpool	63	45
983	37-16	The Doctors	1965–1991	Oakley	79	23
1174	12-17	Kingdom of Fife	1991–	Mersey	152 (2014)	50 (2014)

Inshore Lifeboats

Op No	Name	In service [5]	Class	Comments
D-552	Global Marine	2003–2004	D-class (EA16)	12 month evaluation
D-500	Unnamed	2004–2005	D-class (EA16)
D-667	The Rotary Centenary Queen	2006–2016	D-class (IB1)
D-802	Akira [10]	2016–	D-class (IB1)

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.

Station Honours

The following are awards made to the crew of Anstruther Lifeboat Station ^[11]

• RNLI Gold Medal

1834 - For saving 7 lives of the schooner Wanderer on 2 February 1833

Lt Henry E Randall, coastguard (Second-Service Gold Lifeboat)

• RNLI Silver Medal

1832 - For saving 3 lives of the Sloop Vine on 6 March 1832.

Kenneth McCulloch, coastguard

1834 - For saving 7 lives of the schooner Wanderer on 2 February 1833

Kenneth McCulloch, coastguard - Silver Medal Lifeboat (Second-Service Silver Lifeboat)

1834 - For saving 5 lives of the Schooner John on 3 December 1833.

A Murray, coastguard

J Mason, coastguard

• RNLI Bronze Medal

2013 - For saving 2 lives of the motor vessel Princess on 1 August 2012.

Barry Gourlay, Helmsman

• Thanks of the Institute inscribed on Vellum

2013 - For saving 2 lives of the motor vessel Princess on 1 August 2012.

Euan Hoggan, Crew Member

Rebecca Jewell, Crew Member

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

2007 - For services to the Institution

John Salter Murray (former Coxswain) ^[12]

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

References

1. "Anstruther's lifeboats". rnli.org. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
2. "Station history". rnli.org. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
3. "The Station". Anstruther Lifeboat. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
4. "Lifeboat volunteer awarded medal". BBC News. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
5. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.
6. Smith, Craig. "EXCLUSIVE: Multi-million pound new lifeboat station planned for Anstruther". The Courier. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
7. "Anstruther RNLI volunteers on BBC programme tonight". www.fifetoday.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
8. "History". Anstruther Lifeboat. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
9. "J & M Walker restoration". Anstruther Lifeboat. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
10. "Fife schoolgirl names lifeboat "Akira"". The Courier. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
11. "Anstruther's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
12. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.

56°13′17″N2°41′50″W / 56.22149°N 2.69734°W / 56.22149; -2.69734