Portpatrick Lifeboat Station

Portpatrick Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboats at Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It opened in 1877 and today operates an all-weather lifeboat.

History
Lifeboat stations had been established at Port Logan and Ballantrae by 1871 but on 15 December 1877 one was opened in between them at Portpatrick at the request of local people for the protection of the numerous vessels passing that port as well as for the benefit of the fishing-boats of the place when overtaken by sudden gales of wind. A boathouse was built at a cost of £280 but the lifeboat was launched by lowering it from a davit. The station's first lifeboat was wrecked in 1899 when it fell 14 ft from the davit.

The first lifeboats were 'pulling and sailing', that is they were powered by rowing or with sails. The RNLI started to experiment with petrol motor lifeboats in the early 1900s and one of the first, the Maria came to Portpatrick in 1922 after serving at Broughty Ferry since 1910. Diesel engines were tried in the 1930s and Portpatrick was one of the stations selected for comparative trials of the new engines. It was found that theirs could cruise for 57 nmi while using 64 imppt of petrol but another lifeboat with a different engine at Yarmouth achieved 118 nmi with just 29 imppt.

The RNLI started to deploy inshore lifeboats in the 1960s. One was placed at a new lifeboat station in Stranraer in 1971 but the all-weather lifeboat remains at Portpatrick.

Service awards
The lifeboat was called out on 15 December 1913 to rescue the crew of five from the SS Dunira which was being blown onto rocks in a storm. Coxswain James Smith was awarded an RNLI Silver Medal for his skill in getting the lifeboat alongside the stricken steam ship.

The SS Camlough developed engine trouble near the Isle of Man on 12 January 1932. The captain decided to return to his home port, Belfast, but a gale got up the next day and the ship was blown towards the Scottish coast. Another ship came to the Camlough's aid and took it in tow but the line kept breaking. The Portpatrick lifeboat arrived and monitored the situation. When the tow broke again, the Camlough put down its anchors but they didn't hold and it was swept towards some rocks. The lifeboat swung into action and saved the ten crew, one of whom fell into the sea between the lifeboat and the ship and was in danger of being crushed but was hauled to safety by the coxswain. It was now 14 January and the lifeboat was away from Portpatrick for 12 hours. The coxswain, John Campbell, received an RNLI Bronze Medal for this service.

The stern-loading car ferry Princess Victoria left nearby Stranraer on its regular crossing to Larne in Northern Ireland on the morning of 31 January 1953. A storm was building and soon after reaching more open water its stern doors were damaged by heavy waves and it started to take on water. The Portpatrick lifeboat was launched and was later joined by the lifeboats from Donaghadee, Cloughey and Newcastle. The car ferry sank at about 2 o'clock but there was confusion about its precise location and the lifeboat did not reach the wreck until more than an hour later by which time the storm had developed into a hurricane. The Portpatrick crew rescued 2 people and took them to Donaghadee, and the lifeboat from that harbour saved 31. When the ferry had left Stranraer there had been 127 passengers and 49 crew on board; this is regarded as one of the worst disasters in British coastal waters in the twentieth century. The Portpatrick lifeboat returned to her station on the afternoon of 1 February, more than a day after launching into the storm. Its coxswain, William McConnell, was awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal and a British Empire Medal.

The whole crew received a collective 'Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman' for their teamwork, seamanship and determination when they took the lifeboat out in a Force 10 to rescued the crew of three from a fishing vessel which was sinking on 23 November 1995.

Portpatrick lifeboats
'ON' is the Official Number used in RNLI records from 1884. 'Op. No.' is the Operational Number displayed on the boat.