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Blast from the past for Buckie lifeboat


By Alan Beresford

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BUCKIE'S volunteer RNLI I lifeboat crew see many an unexpected sight when on emergency call-outs, but a recent search for a kayaker turned up a blast from the past.

The evening of Friday, July 26 saw the William Blannin launched after reports of a kayaker – later discovered to have made shore safely – in trouble off the coast of Hopeman.

As the lifeboat combed the area she was joined by one of her predecessors, the Glencoe, Glasgow, a Watson class motor vessel, which served Buckie RNLI from 1949 through to 1960. Now named the Vagrant, the former life-saver is a pleasure boat based at Burghead.

Buckie lifeboat coxswain Alan Robertson said: "The Glencoe joined us on scene when we were searching for the kayaker.

"I recognised her straight away, although she's obviously very different now to when she was a lifeboat.

"She's been heavily converted and the hull is the only original part of her left from her lifeboat days. I've actually been on her and we usually see her when we take the William Blannin to the Burghead gala.

"She was a very well built boat and has stood the test of the years well – I'm sure she'll go on for quite a few yet.

"It shows you how much the technology has improved over the years – it took us 35 minutes to reach the search area but it would have taken the Glencoe in her day about two hours to complete the same journey."

The Glencoe, Glasgow was Buckie's second Watson class lifeboat, taking over from the KBM, although she was slightly larger, heavier and more powerful. Built by Devon shipyard Morgan Tiegnmouth, she cost the then princely sum of £11,885, the cash coming from the legacy of the late Mrs Lawrence Glen. Arriving on station on November 25, 1949, she was formally named at a ceremony at Buckie Harbour on July 20, 1950.

The new lifeboat had to wait until December 27, 1951 for her first effective service when she was launched at 3.40pm to go to the aid of the fishing vessel Cloud, which had run ashore about half a mile north-west of Covesea lighthouse at Lossiemouth. The Hopeman-based boat later refloated, the lifeboat leaving the scene after she was towed back to her home port by another fishing vessel.

Her last hurrah was to come in 1960 when she was called out on June 8 at 1.10am to assist the Sandend motor boat Braeraar, but was not in the end required.

After serving in the RNLI reserve fleet before being sold out of service in 1979 for £7000.

During her 12-year stint at Buckie, the Glencoe, Glasgow is credited with saving a total of nine lives.


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