Since 2004, the station has operated a Severn-class All-weather lifeboat, 17-42 The Taylors (ON 1273).[2]
History
In the previous 35 years, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution had awarded no less than six RNLI Silver Medals for Gallantry to Coastguards, Fishermen and other locals, for rescues performed around Thurso. So in 1859, it was decided to establish a station in Thurso, and especially due to the volume of shipping now passing by.[3]
A boathouse was commissioned to be built at Scrabster Harbour, at a cost of £103, and in October 1860, a new 30-foot 6-oar boat, Polly, costing £148-19s-0d, and built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, arrived at Thurso. John Brims was appointed Coxswain.[4]
Polly was only called upon 6 times in her 11 years on service, but in that time managed to save 49 lives. She was replaced in 1871 by a slightly larger 10-oar boat, Charley Lloyd, which served for another 19 years, being called out 31 times, and rescuing 255 lives.[2]
1929 saw the arrival of Thurso's first motor-powered lifeboat. She was a 45ft 6in Watson-class lifeboat, named H.C.J. (ON 708) by the Duchess of Portland on 13 September 1929. She served Thurso for 27 years, being launched 102 times, and saving the lives of 138 people.[2]
17-42 The Taylors (ON 1273)
Disaster struck Thurso Lifeboat Station in 1956. Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31) (ON 920) arrived on service at Thurso in January 1956. Funded by the Civil Service charity The Lifeboat Fund, she was a 47ft Watson-class lifeboat with two 60 h.p. Gardner 5LW engines, built by Wm. Osbourne of Littlehampton, and costing £35,000. She was named in a ceremony at Scrabster Harbour in August 1956 by HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.[4] On the night of 10 December 1956, both the boat and boathouse were fully consumed by fire. Fire crews from both Thurso and Wick attended, but the intensity was such that only one wall of the boathouse remained, along with the iron keel and engines of the boat. The destruction was so complete that no evidence was left as to the cause of the outbreak.[5]
The first RNLI lifeboat at Thurso cost just £103. 144 years later, in 2004, Thurso received their latest All-weather lifeboat, a 25knot Severn-class lifeboat, 17-42 The Taylors (ON 1273), costing £2 million.[2]
↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
Notes
↑ 6-oared 30-foot Self-righting, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £103
↑ 10-oared, 33-foot Self-righting, built by Wolfe of Shadwell, costing £284-15s-0d
↑ 10-oared, 37-foot Self-righting, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £594
↑ Dunnet Head (Civil Service No. 31) was destroyed by a fire on 10 December 1956 at the boathouse in Thurso, in its first year on service. It was replaced by Pentland (Civil Service No. 31), keeping the same Civil Service number, but this time funded entirely by the RNLI.
↑ Relief lifeboat awaiting replacement for destroyed Dunnet Head
↑ Provided by the RNLI to replace Dunnet Head (ON 920)
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution 
