Macduff Lifeboat Station

Macduff Lifeboat Station
Macduff Lifeboat Station with lifeboat Lydia Macdonald on display next to the Scania launch vehicle
Macduff, Scotland
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Laing Street Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland AB44 1RD, UK
Country	Scotland, UK
Coordinates	57°40′21.7″N 2°29′39.5″W
Opened	1860
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Macduff Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) marine-rescue facility in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. The current lifeboat station in Macduff became operational in March 1974 when the Mk1 Barnett Class lifeboat The James and Margaret Boyd was stationed there for a trial period of one year. In March 1975 the Committee of Management agreed that a permanent station should be established.

The lifeboat station in this part of Aberdeenshire has been located in various locations in Banff & Macduff and between 1923 and 1969 the station was located in Whitehills, three miles to the west of Macduff. Supporters and volunteers treat the station as 'one' regardless of the locations over the years.

The station is currently equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat, B-933 Skipasund, funded by a donation from the Skipasund Foundation. Skipasund was officially handed over to the RNLI and named at a ceremony at the lifeboat station on 10 June 2023.

The launch & recovery system at Macduff is unique within the RNLI, being the only one where the boat is stored, launched and recovered from a mobile davit, that is an HGV with crane.

History

The idea for a station at Macduff was first brought forward at a RNLI Committee Meeting held in Banff on 1 December 1859. The decision to proceed was taken the following March, and the station became operational in August 1860. The first station was built at Banff Harbour and is noted as being a substantial granite building, about 40 feet long, and 18 feet wide within the walls, and which cost about £140.

In July 1866 at a meeting of the Local Committee of the Royal National Life Boat Association, it was unanimously agreed that the lifeboat station be moved from Banff Harbour to Palmer Cove on the East side of Banff Bay.

In 1877 the lifeboat station was relocated again, to a building at the east side of Banff Bridge. This building still stands and is now a house and business premises. On the seaward gable end you can clearly see three stones carved with RN - 1877 - LBI.

In 1902, the station was renamed 'Banff & Macduff' it kept this name until 1923 when it was relocated to Whitehills. In 1924 the name of the station was changed to Whitehills, to reflect the new location.

The move from Macduff to Whitehills was made because over the years, the fishermen of Banff & Macduff, were fishing further away and were not available to crew the lifeboat if required. The fishermen in Whitehills however, fished a lot closer to home, making them more available to crew the lifeboat.

Station Locations & Names

Dates	Station Name	Location
1860 - 1867	Banff	Deveronside/High Shore
1867 - 1877	Banff	Palmer Cove Macduff
1877 - 1902	Banff	Banff Bridge
1902 - 1922	Banff & Macduff	Banff Bridge
1922 - 1923	Banff & Macduff	Whitehills
1924 - 1969	Whitehills	Whitehills
Station Closed
1973 - Present	Macduff	Macduff

Inshore lifeboats

Dates in service	Class	Op. No.	Name	Comments
1985-1989	Atlantic 21	B-532	Guide Friendship II
1989 -2006	Atlantic 21	B-578	The Rotary Club of Glasgow
2006-2023	Atlantic 85	B-804	Lydia Macdonald
2023-Present	Atlantic 85	B-933	Skipasund

All Weather Boats

Dates in service	Class	ON	Op. No.	Name	Comments
1860-1870	36ft eight oars			John Zell
1870-1888	32ft pulling with Ten Oars			John and Sarah
1888				Help For The Helpless
1910-1932	35ft ten oars self-righting Oar & Sail boat			George and Mary Berrey
1932-1948	35ft 6in Self-righting	ON 756		Civil Service No.4	Damaged beyond repair on service 16/6/1948
1948-1949	35ft 6in Self-righting	ON 746		William Maynard
1949-1952	Self Righting Motor	ON 706		Thomas Markby
1952-1959	41ft Watson-class lifeboat	ON 897		St. Andrew, Civil Service No. 10
1959-1961	45ft Watson-class lifeboat	ON 716		Sarah Ward and William David Crossweller
1961-1969	47ft Watson-class lifeboat	ON 959		Helen Wycherley	Launched only 11 times whilst on station.
1974–1975	Barnett-class	ON 913		James & Margaret Boyd
1975–1984	Solent-class	ON 1021	48-016	Douglas Currie

External links

• Macduff Lifeboat Station
• Macduff Lifeboat Facebook Page.