The Kintyre Forum

Anyone got any info on the lifeboat station at Machrihanish? I remember it from way back, could never work out why they had a lifeboat station with no lifeboat there.

Taken from Argyll news:Tommy Ralston and Kintyre's lifeboats.

Machrihanish, a virgin lifeboat..............................

The Machrihanish Lifeboat station was established in 1912. It was opened following the loss of a trawler, which had been driven ashore at Westport, four miles north of Machrihanish, during a blizzard in 1908. On that occasion, rescue attempts from Campbeltown were foiled, the roads being blocked by snowdrifts.

The first, and indeed the only Lifeboat to be stationed there during the short (eighteen year) history of the station, was the Henry Finlay, a thirty-five foot, self-righting, sailing/rowing craft. Like Southend, Machrihanish was manned by men from Campbeltown, until the station closed in 1931 – it being felt that the motor Lifeboat now stationed at Campbeltown could cover the area adequately.

The Lifeboat at Machrihanish was never launched to a casualty.

The ex-Machrihanish Lifeboat was eventually towed to Ardrossan by the Campbeltown motor Lifeboat, the City of Glasgow, from whence she was taken, by rail, to Tynemouth.

http://forargyll.com/2010/01/tommy-rals ... -a-camera/

Thx Bill

My grandmother who was from Drumlemble remembers seeing
a whale gtounded there in about 1915, it eventually died and was cut up.

Yes your right, Pete, well ~i wasnt around in 1915 but I remember 1962 on many whales and sea creatures being grounded at Machrihanish, often the fishermen dragging them back out to sea, sometimes unfortunately they died and then .. oh the smell

I stumbled across this thread and the forum andI hope folks won't mind me posting here.

It may be of interest to forumites to learn that the 'Henry Finlay' is still afloat and in my custodianship. She is coming to the end of an extensive restoration and wil (hopefully) be running pleasure trips on the River Dart here in Devon this summer. The Argyll news (et al) got things slightly wrong in that the 'Henry Finlay' was transported to Teignmouth in Devon and not Tynemouth.

She was retained on the Teignmouth lifeboat station until 1940 and was then stored in the lifeboat house for the duration of World War 2. She was sold out of the RNLI in 1945 and then became a trip boat - the 'Teignmouth Belle'. In 2007/8 she was purchased by a friend of mine who did a huge amount of restoration work and then passed her on to me last year to complete. She is once more the 'Henry Finlay' and is beginig to look very much the part. I hope that this lady of 101 years is now hale and healthy enough to continue to swim through the next 100 years!

If anyone is interested I can try and post link to some pictures of her (both current and historical) and a short film clip of her in the (I think) 1930s.

bill wrote:Taken from Argyll news:Tommy Ralston and Kintyre's lifeboats.

Machrihanish, a virgin lifeboat..............................

The Machrihanish Lifeboat station was established in 1912. It was opened following the loss of a trawler, which had been driven ashore at Westport, four miles north of Machrihanish, during a blizzard in 1908. On that occasion, rescue attempts from Campbeltown were foiled, the roads being blocked by snowdrifts.

The first, and indeed the only Lifeboat to be stationed there during the short (eighteen year) history of the station, was the Henry Finlay, a thirty-five foot, self-righting, sailing/rowing craft. Like Southend, Machrihanish was manned by men from Campbeltown, until the station closed in 1931 – it being felt that the motor Lifeboat now stationed at Campbeltown could cover the area adequately.

The Lifeboat at Machrihanish was never launched to a casualty.

The ex-Machrihanish Lifeboat was eventually towed to Ardrossan by the Campbeltown motor Lifeboat, the City of Glasgow, from whence she was taken, by rail, to Tynemouth.

http://forargyll.com/2010/01/tommy-rals ... -a-camera/

came across this postcard of the launch of the Machrihanish lifeboat and thought it may be of interest to this thread

unfortunatley it was never postally used so there is no date on it, but it was taken and published by my Great Grandfather Edward Keith

Wonderful photo, Carlen. I remember playing at the deserted lifeboat house about 50 years ago. Gawsh time goes so quick, dunnit ...

Just reading your post, Oldgaffer, yes love to see your photos of the lifeboat.

I am glad to report that the 'Henry Finlay' has been officially relaunched and took part in the River Dart Diamond Jubilee Parade this last Monday (see picture below). I have a website up and working at http://www.henryfinlay.co.uk which contains a page with the history and images that I've been able to get together so far.

Thx for posting, oldgaffer