# Longhope Lifeboat Station

Longhope Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Longhope on the island of South Walls, in Orkney, Scotland. It opened in 1874 and since 2004 has operated a Tamar-class lifeboat. In 1969 its lifeboat and crew of eight were lost during a rescue mission.

## History

A lifeboat station was built at Brims on Hoy and the lifeboat was first launched on 25 September 1874. It was always known as 'Longhope' after the larger town on the adjacent island of South Walls. It was replaced in 1906 by a new station with a slipway at Brims. The boathouse was modified in 1990 when new crew facilities were installed in the roof space but it was closed in 1999 and a new one opened at Longhope. A pontoon mooring was provided so that the Arun-class could be moored afloat. The old station on Hoy subsequently became the Longhope Lifeboat Museum, opening in May 2002.

## Longhope lifeboat disaster

The Irene, a Liberian tanker, was adrift with no fuel in the Pentland Firth on the evening of 17 March 1969. The Longhope lifeboat T.G.B. was launched and made its way through high seas and snow flurries towards the disabled vessel. It radioed its position at 9:28 but was never heard from again. The Kirkwall Clyde-class lifeboat was in the area and was sent to look for the Longhope lifeboat. It was later joined by lifeboats from Stronsay, Thurso and Stromness. It was found capsized by the Thurso crew the following afternoon and towed to Scrabster.
There had been eight men on board when it launched: Coxswain Daniel Kirkpatrick, his sons Daniel R Kikpatrick and John Kirkpatrick; Mechanic Robert Johnston, his sons James Johnston and Robert Johnston; along with Eric McFadyen and James Swanson. Swanson was never found but the bodies of the other seven were recovered from inside the lifeboat.

## Service awards

Benjamin Stout, the lifeboat's coxswain, was awarded an RNLI Silver Medal for leading the rescue of 22 people from the SS Victoria which was sinking in the Pentland Firth on 3 March 1891. Half of the rescued people were German so the Emperor of Germany gave a gold watch to the coxswain and money to the crew.
Coxswain John Swanson was awarded a silver medal after rescuing the crew from the trawler Braconmoor which ran aground on 5 January 1930. He was awarded for another silver service to another trawler, the Dorbie, which was wrecked on 9 January 1932.
The lifeboat was launched on 12 April 1951 to aid the tanker Oljaren of Gothenburg which had gone ashore. 40 people were rescued, but it took 23 hours to do so. The Swedish government gave a cash award to the crew and coxswain Alfred Johnston received an RNLI bronze medal. A silver medal was also awarded to Daniel Kirkpatrick for the rescue by breeches buoy of 14 people from a trawler on 4 February 1959. He was given two more silver awards for rescues on 3 January 1964 and 1 April 1968. This meant that he was the person at that time with three silver medals, however he was drowned while attempting to aid the Irene on 17 March 1969.
Another bronze medal was awarded for saving 11 people from the trawler Ross Tern which ran aground on Swona. The coxswain on this occasion was Jack Leslie. The RNLI's chairman sent a framed 'Letter of Thanks' to Leslie and the crew after they attended a chemical tanker which was on fire, along with the Thurso lifeboat, on 19 March 1999.
A yacht named Dasher with a crew of three got into difficulty in high wind on 27 August 2004. The lifeboat went to their aid in the difficult conditions, after which coxswain Kevin Kirkpatrick received the 'Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' and mechanic John Budge was given a framed 'Letter of Thanks' from the chairman. On 11 November 2007 the lifeboat was launched in a Force 12 storm to aid three men who had been injured on a tanker. Doctor Christine Bradshaw was transferred to the tanker by a helicopter winch. She was later awarded an RNLI bronze medal and the lifeboat crew received a framed 'Letter of Thanks'.

## Longhope lifeboats

* David and Elizabeth King and E. B. (1970–1988)
* Sir Max Aitken II (1999–2004)
* Helen Comrie (From 2006)
| At Longhope | ON | Op. No. | Name | Class | Built | Comments |
| 1874–1886 | — | — | Dickinson Edleston | | 1874 | 37 ft (11 m) boat with 12 oars. |
| 1891–1904 | 307 | — | Samyntas Stannah | Self-Righter | 1891 | |
| 1904–1906 | 291 | — | Christopher North Graham | Self-Righter | 1890 | Originally built for Thorpeness Lifeboat Station. |
| 1906–1926 | 550 | — | Ann Miles | Watson | 1905 | |
| 1926–1933 | 698 | — | K.T.J.S. | Watson | 1926 | First motor lifeboat at Longhope. Sold in 1950 after service at Aith and Arranmore but wrecked in 1980. |
| 1933–1962 | 759 | — | Thomas McCunn | Watson | 1933 | Preserved at Longhope Lifeboat Museum since 2000. |
| 1962–1969 | 962 | — | T.G.B. | Watson | 1962 | Transferred to Arranmore after the disaster of 17 March 1969. It was withdrawn in 1986 and put on display at the Scottish Maritime Museum. |
| 1970 | 889 | — | Hilton Briggs | Barnett | 1951 | Originally stationed at Aberdeen, withdrawn from Invergordon in 1975. Sold and used as a pleasure boat, reported to be in Bristol in 2022. |
| 1970–1988 | 1010 | 48-007 | David and Elizabeth King and E. B. | Solent | 1970 | Transferred to Invergordon. Sold in 1990 and reported to be a pleasure boat at Glasson Dock in 2023. |
| 1988–1999 | 1138 | 47-025 | Lord Saltoun | Tyne | 1988 | Sold in 2012 for use as a work boat. Reported to be at Carrickfergus in 2021. |
| 1999–2004 | 1098 | 52–28 | Sir Max Aitken II | Arun | 1984 | Originally stationed at Stornoway. Withdrawn in 2005 and sold for further use as a lifeboat in China. |
| 2004–2006 | 1149 | 52–43 | The Queen Mother | Arun | 1989 | Originally stationed at Thurso. Sold in 2009 for use as a pilot boat at Montevideo. |
| 2006– | 1284 | 16–05 | Helen Comrie | Tamar | 2006 | |