# Girvan Lifeboat Station

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

## History

There were few lifeboats in south west Scotland in the 1850s but the RNLI had stationed one at Ayr in 1859. In 1865 decided that Girvan would also be a good place for a lifeboat. There were many fishermen who would be able to provide a crew, and a road close to the coast both north and south of the town would allow it to be transported to other places where it could be launched when required. The new boat was paid for by Alexander Kay, an insurance broker in Glasgow, and a boathouse was built on land donated by the Duchesse de Coigny.
The boathouse was rebuilt in 1910. Soon after that the RNLI began to provide motor lifeboats and it was Girvan's turn in 1931, the new boat being inaugurated on 16 May 1931. The pulling and sailing lifeboats stationed here since 1865 had saved 55 lives in that time. The motor lifeboat could cover a larger area more efficiently and so the station at Ayr closed the following year.
A new facility on a different site was provided in 1993. The new lifeboat that took up station at the same time was paid for and named Sylvia Burrell who had died the previous year but had long been a supporter of the RNLI and had knitted nearly 400 pairs of mittens for lifeboat crews.

## Girvan lifeboats

'ON' is the Official Number used in RNLI records from 1884. 'Op. No.' is the Operational Number displayed on the boat.
| At Girvan | ON | Op. No. | Name | Class | Built | Comments |
| 1865–1887 | – | | The Earl of Carrick | Peake | 1865 | 32 ft (9.8 m) boat with 10 oars. |
| 1887–1901 | 167 | – | Sir Horne Popham | Self-righter | 1887 | |
| 1901–1931 | 452 | – | James Stevens No. 18 | Liverpool | 1901 | |
| 1931–1952 | 739 | – | Lily Glen – Glasgow | Self-righter | 1931 | First motor lifeboat at Girvan. |
| 1952–1955 | 795 | – | Frank and William Oates | Liverpool | 1937 | Previously stationed at Eyemouth, withdrawn from Hastings in 1964. It was sold and modified as a fishing boat Seren-y-Mor, last reported to be at Tenby in 2019. |
| 1955–1960 | 874 | – | Robert Lindsay | Liverpool | 1950 | Originally stationed at Arbroath, withdrawn from Criccieth in 1968. Reported to being restored at Stiffkey. |
| 1960–1961 | 857 | – | The Jeannie | Watson | 1949 | Previously stationed at Buckie, withdrawn from Portavogie in 1978. Sold and modified as a pleasure boat, last reported at Burghead in 2019. |
| 1961–1968 | 897 | – | St Andrew (C.S. No. 10) | Watson | 1951 | Originally stationed at Whitehills, transferred to Arklow in 1968 but returned to Girvan in 1976. |
| 1968–1976 | 909 | – | James and Barbara Aitken | Watson | 1954 | Previously stationed at Troon. Withdrawn after being wrecked in service. Sold in 1977 and reported in 2023 to be in store at Migennes in France. |
| 1976–1977 | 897 | – | St Andrew (C.S. No. 10) | Watson | 1951 | Previously stationed at Girvan in 1961–1968. It served in the Relief Fleet until 1982 when it was sold. It is now preserved at Pembroke Dock. |
| 1977–1983 | 941 | – | William and Mary Durham | Watson | 1957 | Previously stationed at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Sold and became the fishing boat Ron Meadhonach at Portree. |
| 1983–1989 | 1084 | 33-04 | Philip Vaux | Brede | 1982 | Sold in 1990 and reported to now be the pilot boat Mourne Mist at Greencastle. |
| 1989–1993 | 1105 | 33-12 | Amateur Swimming Associations | Brede | 1985 | Sold in 1993 for use as a lifeboat in New Zealand. By 2021 it had been retired and operating as a pleasure boat at Picton. |
| 1993–2018 | 1021 | 12-37 | Sylvia Burrell | Mersey | 1993 | Sold in 2021 and reported in 2022 to be on the Isle of Wight but named Ailsa Craig. |
| 2018– | 1330 | 13-23 | Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan | Shannon | 2018 | |
* 12-37 RNLB Sylvia Burrell
* 13-23 RNLB Elizabeth and Gertrude Allan