Lifeboats Old and New
Anyone who keeps a close eye on the coming and goings of boats and shipping in Castletownbere Harbour will have noticed an old historic lifeboat anchored beside the Castletownbere Lifeboat.
This old Royal National Lifeboat Institute lifeboat spent most of its working life on the south-west coast of Wales. It is in fact the former Angle Lifeboat R.N.L.B “Elizabeth Elson” (O.N. 713) and is in excellent condition for a boat that is now 72 years old. This early Watson class 4 cwt 45’ 6” lifeboat with a 12’6” beam was build in 1928-29 at J.S. White Boatyard at a cost of £8,253 provided from a legacy of Mr. Benjamin Elson of Hove, East Sussex. The boat, fitted with two 40 b.h.p. Weyburn Engines had a crew of eight and could do a speed of 8 knots per hour and was Angle’s first motor lifeboat replacing steam and pulling lifeboats.
The “Elizabeth Elson” was placed on station on 10th January 1929 and was located in the newly built boathouse with a roller slipway on the north side of Angle Point. This boathouse was unusual at the time in that a recovery procedure was devised in which the lifeboat was hauled up the slipway bow-first, then turned on a turntable to be backed into the boathouse ready for the next launch.
The “Elizabeth Elson” was stationed at Angle from January 1929 until February 1957, during which time she launched 58 times and saved 144 lives. 56 of these were saved on one occasion when the lifeboat rescued the tanker “Atholl Duchess” near the Smalls Lighthouse in August 1943. The records of the R.N.L.I. show that the boat was involved in some heroic rescues while stationed at Angle. In 1929, Coxswain James Watkins was awarded the Institute’s Bronze Medal in recognition for ‘his judgement, perseverance, and fine seamanship for the rescue, at the third attempt and at considerable risk, of 28 persons from the steamship “S.S. Molesey” which was totally wrecked in a south-westerly gale.’ The same coxswain was awarded the Silver Medal when he rescued 6 persons in gale-force conditions in December 1943. The vessel “M.V. Thor” ‘had been thrown on her beam ends by a following sea and was nearly bottom up with heavy seas breaking over her’. Coxswain Watkins went on to earn a clasp to his Bronze Medal when in July 1945, he rescued 9 men from the ex-German steamer “Walter L.M. Russ”. Official records state that ‘…… only her bridge, the upper part of the funnel, and the two masts could be seen above the sea. Three men were rescued from the wreck by breeches buoy and six more who were clinging to the rocks by lines’.
On leaving Angle in February 1957, the “Elizabeth Elson” became one of the reserve fleet replacing a station’s own lifeboat when it was sent for maintenance or a refit. The boat was placed at 15 different lifeboat stations around the coast of Britain and Ireland and during an eleven year period it launched 85 times and saved a further 29 lives. During this period it was stationed in Howth Co Dublin for the month of April 1960 and was launched once saving one life.
After 39 years as an R.N.L.I. lifeboat, the “Elizabeth Elson” became non-operational on 21st October 1968 and was sold a month later to Mr H.E. Carters of Carrickfergus, Co Antrim for the sum of £2,170. Having launched a total of 143 times and saving 173 lives, the “Elizabeth Elson” was now to begin a new life as a private pleasure vessel. Lifeboat “spotters” could be forgiven for confusing this early Watson class lifeboat with the earlier Liverpool class. This is because she was modified in Carrigfergus Harbour in 1993. The cabin was increased in size by the removal of the engine canopy and it was repositioned to give a distinctive appearance. In addition, Prekins engines replaced the original ones fitted in 1929. Since ceasing to operate as a lifeboat, this boat has been used by Mr Carters until it was sold two years ago to the present owner, Mr Hans Stallinga, of Sneem, Co Kerry.
Anchored beside the visiting lifeboat is Castletownbere’s all weather lifeboat “R.N.L.B. Roy & Barbara Harding” (0.N.1118). While she looks new, she is in fact nearly fifteen years old but it appears in pristine condition due to the maintenance of the station mechanics and crew, and the R.N.L.I.’s policy of regular maintenance and refits to the highest standards for all its lifeboat fleet.
Based on the award winning design, this Arun class lifeboat was built in 1986-87 at William Osberne Boatyard, Littlehampton on the River Arun. The boat’s number 52 – 36 refers to its length of 52 feet and that this was the 36th Arun class lifeboat to be built. The cost was £466,448 and this was provided from the Institution’s funds and it was named in honour of the late Captain Roy Harding and his wife Barbara.
Captain Harding spent his early life in the Merchant Navy in command of deep sea vessels prior to joining the R.N.L.I. as Staff Coxswain and later as Trials Officer. He in fact was involved in the sea trials and development of the prototype Arun Lifeboat. His wife, Barbara, was also involved in the R.N.L.I. and spent over 30 years as the honorary secretary of the Seaton Branch. She attended the naming ceremony of the boat in Kilronan in the Aran Islands in 1987. Both Roy and Barbara Harding are now deceased but are survived by their son and the R.N.L.I. continues to send him details of each service carried out by Castletownbere Lifeboat.
Prior to taking up service in the Aran Islands, the “Roy & Barbara Harding” sailed in the company of the Norwegian Lifeboat “Skomvaer III” and Swedish Lifeboat “Marjit Enjeullan” to the 1987 International Lifeboat Conference in La Corina in Spain calling at Roscoff, Belle Isle, Port Bloc, Santander and Gijon.
Once on station in the Aran Islands in July 1987, the lifeboat was to see service frequently often acting as an “ambulance” ferrying sick or injured persons between the island and the mainland. From its arrival until November 1996, the “Roy & Barbara Harding” launched 315 times and saved 43 lives.
Having been surveyed in Falmouth in 1996 and sent to Appledore Boatyard for a refit in early 1997, the newly appointed crew in Castletownbere undertook training at the R.NL.I.’s training Centre in Poole in Dorset. Since its arrival on the 25th October 1997, Castletownbere’s lifeboat has launched 71 times, saved 15 lives, landed 13 persons, and brought ashore a further 38 persons. The lifeboat has been at sea for 191 hours with the total crew man-hours at sea standing at 1287 hours. The R.N.L.I. estimates the value of property saved by Castletownbere lifeboat is in the region of £2,900,000.
The two lifeboats, side by side in Castletownbere Harbour,
have stood the test of time, and the test of all types of sea conditions and
weather. Both boats were built using the best design, materials and fitted with
the best equipment of their time. Between them the “”Elizabeth Elson”
and the “Roy & Barbara Harding” have launched a total of 529
times and saved a total of 241 lives – a lot of history floating in the
harbour.
Castletownbere Lifeboat Station would like to thank Mr Stuart Nourse, Manager of the Service Information Section, R.N.L.I., Poole and Mr Hans Stallinga, the present owner of the former R.N.L.B. “Elizabeth Elson” for the information they provided.
Paul
Stevens
Castletownbere Lifeboat Press Officer