Thurso Lifeboat Station

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Thurso Lifeboat Station
Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg
RNLI Thurso, Ferry Pier, Scrabster, near Thurso - 2 - geograph.org.uk - 3646754.jpg
Thurso Lifeboat Station
Caithness UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Thurso
General information
Type RNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationScrabster Harbour
AddressFerry Pier
Town or city Scrabster, Thurso, Caithness, KW14 7UJ
Country Scotland
Coordinates 58°36′43.4″N3°32′49.2″W / 58.612056°N 3.547000°W / 58.612056; -3.547000
Opened1860
Owner Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/thurso-lifeboat-station

Thurso Lifeboat Station is located at Scrabster Harbour, in the NE corner of Scotland, near the town of Thurso, Highland, in the historic county of Caithness.
A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1860. [1]

Contents

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]

In 1890, the third lifeboat assigned to Thurso was also the third lifeboat funded by the Co-operative Union, named Co-operator No.3 (ON 282) at a ceremony on the River Clyde, to coincide with the Co-operative Congress meeting in Glasgow. [4]

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) Thurso Lifeboat - geograph.org.uk - 1445570.jpg
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]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Thurso [1] [3]

John Morgan, coastguard - 1830
Benjamin Sinclair - 1835
John Smith - 1840
Robert Williamson, fisherman - 1848
Donald Thompson - 1856
John Brims, Coxswain - 1886
John Brims, Coxswain - 1894 (Second-Service Clasp)
Angus McPhail, Coxswain - 1931
John McLeod, Coxswain - 1944
William Farquhar, Coxswain - 1999
William Munro, Second Coxswain - 1999
Duncan Munro, Assistant Mechanic - 1999
Donald Mackay - 1999
Gordon Munro - 1999
John Webster - 1999
James Brims - 1999
Kevin Oag - 1999
Scott Youngson - 1999
Angus McPhail, Coxswain - 1929
Angus McPhail, Coxswain - 1930
Adam McLeod, Second Coxswain - 1931
Angus Macintosh, Coxswain - 1953
John Manson, Second Coxswain - 1982
Ross Farquhar, Coxswain - 1982
William Donald Munro, Second Coxswain - 1997
Duncan (Dougie) Munro, Second Coxswain - 2004
William Miller, Acting Motor Mechanic - 1997
Duncan Munro, Assistant Mechanic - 1997
James Brims, crew member - 1997
Thomas Davidson, crew member - 1997
Donald McKenzie, crew member - 1997
Gordon Munro, crew member - 1997
Kevin Oag, crew member - 1997
John Webster, crew member - 1997
William Miller, Motor Mechanic - 2004
Gordon Munro, Deputy Second Coxswain - 2004
James Brims, Assistant Mechanic - 2004
Bruce Farquhar, Emergency Mechanic - 2004
Scott Youngson, crew member - 2004
Kevin Davidson, crew member - 2004
William Farquhar, Coxswain - 1999
Duncan (Dougie) Munro, Second Coxswain - 2004
William Farquar, Coxswain - 2001
William Munro, Coxswain - 2002
Brian Williams, Honorary Secretary - 2001
William Miller, Motor Mechanic - 2001
Duncan Munro, Second Coxswain - 2001
Gordon Munro, Deputy Second Coxswain - 2001
James Brims, Assistant Mechanic - 2001
Bruce Farquhar, Emergency Mechanic - 2004
J.Webster, crew member - 2001
Scott Youngson, crew member - 2001
James Brims, crew member - 2001
Kevin Davidson, crew member - 2001
Gordon Munro, Deputy Second Coxswain - 2004
James Brims, Assistant Mechanic - 2004
Scott Youngson, crew member - 2004
Kevin Davidson, crew member - 2004
Coxswain, Second Coxswain and Bowman - 1928
Thurso Lifeboat Crew - 1928
John Miller, Honorary Secretary - 1948 [6]
John McLeod, Coxswain

Thurso lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON [a] Op.No. [b] NameIn service [2] ClassComments
Pre-368−Polly1860−187130-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 1]
Pre-554−Charley Lloyd1871−189033-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 2]
282−Co-operator No.31890−190937-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
585−Sarah Austin1901−1929 40-foot Watson (P&S)
708−H. C. J.1929−1956 45ft 6in Watson
920− Dunnet Head
(Civil Service No.31) 		1956−1956 47ft Watson [Note 4]
711−James Macfee1956−1957 45ft 6in Watson [Note 5]
940− Pentland
(Civil Service No.31) 		1957−1970 47ft Watson [Note 6]
101448-011The Three Sisters1970−1988 Solent
105254-07City of Bradford IV1988−1989 Arun
114952-43The Queen Mother1989−2004 Arun
127317-42The Taylors2004− Severn
  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.

Notes

  1. ↑ 6-oared 30-foot Self-righting, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £103
  2. ↑ 10-oared, 33-foot Self-righting, built by Wolfe of Shadwell, costing £284-15s-0d
  3. ↑ 10-oared, 37-foot Self-righting, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £594
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ Relief lifeboat awaiting replacement for destroyed Dunnet Head
  6. ↑ Provided by the RNLI to replace Dunnet Head (ON 920)

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References

  1. 1 2 "Thurso's Station history". RNLI. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
  3. 1 2 Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0-907605-89-3.
  4. 1 2 3 Morris, Jeff (December 2005). The Story of the Thurso Lifeboats. LBES. pp. 1−62.
  5. ↑ "Loss of Thurso Life-Boat and Boathouse". The Lifeboat. 34 (379). March 1957. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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