| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Operator | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Builder | J. Samuel White |
| In service | 1935–1959 |
| Official Number | ON 775 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Watson-class |
| Length | 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m) |
RNLB Mona (ON 775) was a Watson-Class lifeboat based at Broughty Ferry in Scotland, that capsized during a rescue attempt, with the loss of her entire crew of eight men. The Mona was built in 1935, and, in her time, saved 118 lives.
There had been a lifeboat based at Broughty Ferry since 1859, with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution taking over the running of the lifeboat station two years later. The Mona arrived at Broughty Ferry in May 1935. A motor vessel, she was capable of carrying 120 people. [1]
At 3:13 am on 8 December 1959, the Mona was launched to assist the North Carr Lightship, which was reported adrift in St Andrews Bay. [2] Weather conditions were exceptionally severe, with a strong south-easterly gale, and the Broughty Ferry lifeboat was the only boat in the area able to launch. The Mona was seen clearing the Tay and heading south into St Andrews Bay. Her last radio message was at 4:48 am. As the Mona was struggling to reach the North Carr reef, off the coast of Fife, the lightship's crew of six were able to drop their spare anchor. They were all rescued alive and well by helicopter the next morning, 24 hours after the first call for help had gone out. After a helicopter search, the Mona was found capsized on Buddon Sands. Her crew of eight (Ronald Grant, George Smith, Alexander Gall, John Grieve, George Watson, James Ferrier, John T. Grieve and David Anderson) had all drowned. The boat was burned on the beach.
The Mona disaster was the subject of an official investigation, in which the boat was described as having been 100% seaworthy at the time of the accident.
The scale of the tragedy stunned the local community, and a disaster fund raised more than £77,000 in less than a month. By the time a relief lifeboat arrived at Broughty Ferry two weeks after the disaster, 38 volunteers had signed up to form a new crew. [3]
The incident was immortalised in song by Peggy Seeger entitled "The Lifeboat Mona", which was sung by The Dubliners, commemorating its great achievements and the hardships the crew endured. The names of the men who died are commemorated on a plaque on the side of the present day boat house. [4]
The 50th anniversary of the disaster, in 2009, saw a number of memorial events organised to mark the occasion. These included a memorial concert on the actual anniversary date. [5] and talks entitled The Mona Remembered at the local church on 23 and 25 November. [6] [7]
According to a letter to the Dundee Evening Telegraph, in January 2006, "Among some seamen, it was believed the vessel was tainted with evil, and they resolved to exorcise the boat in a 'viking ritual'".[ page needed ] The Mona was taken to Cockenzie harbour on the river Forth in the dead of night, stripped of anything of value, chained to the sea wall, and burnt.[ citation needed ] Questions were raised in the House of Commons about the destruction of a lifeboat built with public subscription.[ citation needed ]
The lightvessel, later replaced by a beacon, is now berthed at Victoria Dock, Dundee harbour.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways.
The Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall, England. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat Solomon Browne, based at the Penlee Lifeboat Station near Mousehole, went to the aid of the vessel Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas. After the lifeboat had rescued four people, both vessels were lost with all hands. Sixteen people died, including eight volunteer lifeboatmen.
The Southport and St Anne's lifeboats disaster, commonly known as the Mexico disaster after the ship involved, occurred on the evening of the 9th December 1886. In all, 27 lifeboat men lost their lives trying to save the crew of the ship.
Blyth Lifeboat Station is located at the Port and seaside town of Blyth, in the south east corner of the county of Northumberland, approx. 13 miles (21 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne.
North Carr is the last remaining Scottish lightship. She is 101 feet (31 m) in length, 25 feet (7.6 m) in beam and 268 tons.
RNLB Mary Stanford was the Ballycotton Lifeboat from 1930 to 1959. Ballycotton is on Ireland's southern coast, a trade route to the Americas. There are many dangerous rocks and shallows with on-shore prevailing winds. Ballycotton has a long tradition of life-saving. Mary Stanford had 41 rescues, or "shouts", and saved 122 lives. She performed the notable Daunt Lightship rescue on 11 February 1936. After her withdrawal from service she lay for some years in a backwater of Dublin's Grand Canal Dock, but has now been returned to Ballycotton and restored.
The Mumbles Lifeboat Station is at Mumbles Pier, located at the south-western corner of Swansea Bay, near the village of Mumbles, within the city and county of Swansea, in the historic county of Glamorgan, Wales.
Horton and Port Eynon Lifeboat Station is located at Horton Beach, just off Underhill Lane in the village of Horton, on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula, approximately 14 miles (23 km) west of Swansea.
Penlee Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations for Mount's Bay in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The lifeboat station operated at various locations in Penzance from the early 19th century. It moved to Penlee Point near Mousehole in 1913, thus gaining its current name, but was moved to Newlyn in 1983 without any change of name. The station is remembered for the loss of the entire lifeboat crew on 19 December 1981.
Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Aldeburgh, in the English county of Suffolk.
Harwich Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located in the town of Harwich in the English county of Essex. The station is positioned on the southern side at the mouth of the River Orwell estuary. The station serves a particularly busy section of coastline with Harwich being a very busy ferry terminal. Across the estuary is the Port of Felixstowe which is the United Kingdom's busiest container port.
St Davids Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station. It was opened in 1869 and to date has been involved in saving over 360 lives at sea in more than 420 launches. The station operates both an all-weather (ALB) and an inshore (ILB) lifeboat.
Flamborough Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located at Flamborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. There used to be two lifeboat stations at Flamborough; one on the north side of Flamborough Head, and on one the south side. Since 1993, the village has just one lifeboat station on the southern side of Flamborough Head. The station operates a B-class Inshore Lifeboat Elizabeth Jane Palmer (B-820).
Fraserburgh Lifeboat Station is located at the harbour town of Fraserburgh, in the NE corner of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Arbroath Lifeboat Station is located at the harbour town and former royal burgh of Arbroath, on the North Sea coast, 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Dundee, in Angus, Scotland.
Courtmacsherry Harbour Lifeboat Station is located on Sea Road, in the village of Courtmacsherry, County Cork, on the southern shore of the Argideen River estuary, approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) south west of Cork, on the south coast of Ireland.
Budden Ness Lifeboat Station was located on the north shore of the River Tay estuary, on the headland between Carnoustie and Monifieth, near the Budden Ness High Lighthouse, in the historic county of Angus, Scotland.
Broughty Ferry Lifeboat Station is located at the bottom of Fort Street, in the town of Broughty Ferry, a suburb of Dundee on the north shore of the River Tay estuary, in the historic county of Angus, Scotland.
St Andrews Lifeboat Station was located at Woodburn Place, in the town of St Andrews, approximately 13 miles (21 km) south-east of Dundee, on the east coast of the Fife peninsula.
Islay Lifeboat Station is located in the harbour village of Port Askaig, which sits on the Sound of Islay, in the north east corner of the Isle of Islay, off the north-west coast of Scotland.
 Watson-class lifeboats | |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1959 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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