Stromness Lifeboat Station

Stromness Lifeboat Station is located in the harbour town of Stromness, the second largest town of Mainland, Orkney, in the Isles of Orkney, Scotland.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Stromness by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1867.^[1]

The station currently operates a Severn-class All-weather lifeboat, 17-16 Violet, Dorothy and Kathleen (ON 1236), on station since 1998.^[2]

On 1 January 1866, the Albion was wrecked on Graemsay, one of the Orkney Islands. Fortunately 90 people survived, but 11 people died, including one man from Graemsay attempting a rescue. Following this event, a request was made to the RNLI to open a lifeboat station in the area, and after a visit by their Inspector of Lifeboats, this was agreed at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 1 August 1867. At the time, Stromness would be the most northerly of all the RNLI stations.^[3][4][5]

A boathouse was constructed at The Ness by Robertson & Smith, costing £144-19s-6d. An order for a 33-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, and costing £280, was placed with Forrestt of Limehouse, London, and a launch-carriage cost a further £98-10s-0d. Transported to Stromness free of charge by the Aberdeen, Leith and Clyde Shipping company, the boat arrived in Stromness in August 1867. The lifeboat was provided out of a gift of £620 from Bradford manufacturer and philanthropist Titus Salt, and was duly named Saltaire after his model village near Shipley in Yorkshire.^[4][5][6]

An RNLI inspection in 1890 proved that The Ness was a difficult location to launch the boat. At a practice launch into a gale, it took over an hour to get the boat afloat. Whilst conditions were still not perfect at Stromness, it was recommended that the boat be relocated to Stromness harbour and remain afloat. A new 42-foot 12-oared Self-righting lifeboat was ordered from McAlister of Dumbarton, funded by the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds (Ashton Order) Friendly Society, and named Good Shepherd at a ceremony in Greenock on 16 May 1891. The boat arrived in Stromness on 15 June 1891.^[4]

Work began in 1900 on the construction of a new boathouse with roller slipway at Stromness harbour. Costing £1250, the boathouse was completed in 1902.^[1]

RNLI trials of motor-powered lifeboats began in the early 1900s, using modified pulling and sailing lifeboats. In 1907, the RNLI placed an order with the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company for four new purpose-built motor-powered lifeboats. The first of these was the £2,995 42-foot self-righting John A. Hay (ON 591), with a 30 hp petrol engine, providing 6.5 knots, funded from the legacy of Mr John Alexander Hay of Cheltenham. Setting out from London Docks on 15 April 1909, along with a similar boat for Stronsay, she covered the 768 in 15 days, arriving in Stromness on 30 April.^[4]

On 15 June 1916, during the First World War, the HMS Hampshire struck a mine off Marwick Head, just 12 north of Stromness, and sank with the loss of 737 lives, including that of Field Marshal Earl Kitchener. There were only 12 survivors. There is speculation whether it would have made any difference given the conditions, but the lifeboat was never called out.^[7]

Melville, Dundas and Whitsun, of Glasgow started construction of a replacement boathouse and roller-slipway in 1925, on the site of the previous boathouse. Costing £10,660, it was completed in 1926. However, when a new lifeboat was due for Stromness two years later, it was proposed that they receive a 60-foot Barnett-class lifeboat, which would need to be kept afloat due to the size. Honorary Secretary at Stromness, Mr George Thompson, travelled to London to meet RNLI 'Naval Architect' James Rennie Barnett, and the result was the 51-foot Barnett (Stromness-class) lifeboat, suitable for slipway launches from a boathouse. As it turned out, the new Stromness lifeboat, J. J. K. S. W. (ON 702), would be the only one housed.^[4]

Stromness Lifeboat performed an exceptional service in 1930, but without a good outcome. On 28 March 1930, in gale conditions, the Aberdeen trawler Ben Doran was wrecked on Ve Skerries, near Papa Stour, on the west side of Shetland. Despite recent moves to locate a lifeboat in Lerwick, there were no lifeboats based in Shetland. After all other rescue attempts failed, the Stromness lifeboat, being the nearest, was launched at 16:30 on 30 March. In very poor conditions, the lifeboat first sailed to Scalloway as a staging point for food and a refuel, arriving at 07:30 on the 31 March, before heading around Shetland with a local Pilot, to Ve Skerries. All that was found was the wreck, and no survivors. The lifeboat headed back to Scalloway, before commencing the 16½ hour journey back to Stromness, arriving at 23:00 on 1 April. J.J.K.S.W. (ON 702) had been away for 55 hours, and travelled 320 miles.^[8]

At 08:50 on 17 June 1992, the relief Arun-class lifeboat 52-31 Newsbuoy (ON 1103) was tasked to the aid of the replica 12th century longboat, on passage from Stornoway to Faroe. The vessel, the Hebredean Birlinn Aileach had suffered steering failure, 40 miles (64 km) north of Cape Wrath. After a journey of over 70 miles (110 km) in force 6–7 conditions, the lifeboat arrived with the vessel at 13:51. With the crew of nine aboard the lifeboat, the vessel was taken in tow, arriving back at Stromness at 20:55, a service of over 11 hours. A "Collective Letter of Thanks, signed by the Chairman of the Institution" was presented to the lifeboat crew.^[9]

In 1998, Stromness received their latest lifeboat. A Severn-class lifeboat, the largest type of the RNLI fleet, fitted with twin Caterpillar 3412 1200 bhp marine diesel engines, providing a top speed of 25 knots, and cost £1,580,000. Funded from the estate of the late Miss Violet Matton of Seaford, East Sussex, and the wills of her two sisters, Dorothy and Kathleen, she was named 17-16 Violet, Dorothy and Kathleen (ON 1236).^[10]

The following are awards made at Stromness^[1][11]

• RNLI Silver Medal

Robert Leask Jnr, Farmer – 1873

Robert Greig, Coxswain – 1908

• RNLI Bronze Medal

William Johnston, Coxswain – 1922

William Johnston, Coxswain – 1929 (Second-Service Clasp)

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

The son of Robert Leask Jnr – 1873

William Sinclair, Coxswain – 1953

John Banks, Coxswain – 2002

• A Collective Letter of Thanks, signed by the Chairman of the Institution

James Flett, Coxswain – 1992

John Banks, Second Coxswain – 1992

Ronald Taylor, Mechanic – 1992

James Adam, Assistant Mechanic – 1992

Douglas Adam, crew member – 1992

William Wilson, crew member – 1992

Robert Craigie, crew member – 1992

• Letter of appreciation from the Danish Government

Stromness Lifeboat Crew – 1939

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

George Linklater Thomson, Honorary Secretary – 1941KBH^[12]

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

• Stromness RNLI Lifeboat Station