Leverburgh Lifeboat Station.

[NormanS]

Not sure if this has been posted already, but it's looking almost certain that Leverburgh RNLI lifeboat station is going to close. The reason given is shortage of volunteers to crew the boat. Closure will leave a huge gap in lifeboat cover on the West Coast of Scotland. Leverburgh Lifeboat in South Harris was ideally placed to cover both sides of the Little Minch, the central eastern area of the Western Isles, and the whole of the western side of the Outer Isles, out to St Kilda. If any vessel needs lifeboat assistance out on the West Side of the Outer Isles, they are in for a long wait for the Lifeboats from either Barra, in the south, or Stornoway, to the north.

 

[dunedin]

Ouch! Down in the south lifeboats are often very close together and only a few minutes to get there.
Time from Stornoway to Taransay, or Barra to St Kilda doesn’t bear thinking about. Many hours even if flat water and able to do 25 knots.
PS. i wonder if a long term solution could be tractor launch boat at Tarbert, Harris - hence able to launch direct to East or West coasts, and bypass the Sound of Harris entirely

 

[mainsail1]

I think Leverburgh only opened in 2012. Looking at the lack of suitable population in the surrounding area I think it may have been a poor decision. If they base the existing Shannon class lifeboat in a more populous area maybe they will find a crew. Tarbert sounds a better bet but you would need to see if there are even enough volunteers there.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

In other places with no indigenous population, they have paid a crew. Certainly the Lifeboat crew at Spurn Point was (or is - no idea what the current situation is) .
Given the RNLI's cash pile, I don't see why they don't consider that as a solution?

 

[NormanS]

In other places with no indigenous population, they have paid a crew. Certainly the Lifeboat crew at Spurn Point was (or is - no idea what the current situation is) .
Given the RNLI's cash pile, I don't see why they don't consider that as a solution?

I think that if there was even one, a paid cox/mechanic, it would probably be viable. Aith Lifeboat, in the west of Shetland, is in a similar geographical situation. It has very few callouts, but has a full time paid cox'n/mechanic. It is potentially a serious situation on the west side of the Outer Isles. Before Leverburgh LB was established, there was an occasion where Stornoway LB took five hours to reach a vessel in trouble in Loch Hamnaway, a remote sealoch on the west side.
I like dunedin's idea of having a ready launch lifeboat at Tarbert, where it could launch either east or west, but I'm not sure whether a boat big enough, would be mobile enough on the land.
On a purely personal level, I would rather see my modest contributions spent in this country, rather than in some overseas countries.

 

[penberth3]

In other places with no indigenous population, they have paid a crew. Certainly the Lifeboat crew at Spurn Point was (or is - no idea what the current situation is) .
Given the RNLI's cash pile, I don't see why they don't consider that as a solution?

I'd guess Spurn Point's patch and the amount of traffic makes it a busier lifeboat than any on the Western Isles, and justifies the full time crew.

 

[peteK]

I thought all cox/mechanics were paid in all areas.

 

[caiman]

There is a least one full timer(Station Mechanic) on all ALB Stations.
Sometimes it is a full time Coxswain/Mechanic position.
Many Shannon Stations now have two full timers(ours does).Usualy Coxswain/Mechanics.
Cheers.

 

[prv]

I'm not sure whether a boat big enough, would be mobile enough on the land.

If they needed a carriage-launch boat it would be a Shannon. From post #3 it sounds like that’s what the existing one is anyway, so presumably is suitable for the patch.

Pete

 

[NormanS]

If they needed a carriage-launch boat it would be a Shannon. From post #3 it sounds like that’s what the existing one is anyway, so presumably is suitable for the patch.

Pete

It's about one kilometer from where a suitable slipway on the East loch could be made, to a similar place on the West loch. I have no idea about the practicalities of that. There is a road between the two points.

 

[prv]

It's about one kilometer from where a suitable slipway on the East loch could be made, to a similar place on the West loch. I have no idea about the practicalities of that. There is a road between the two points.

I don’t know if there’s any specific limit to how far a Supacat carriage system can drive. I doubt it - it’s probably more about how much extra time a long trundle adds to the launch. But if it saves time overall compared to the boat taking the long way round a headland, it may still be the best option.

The old Llandudno station was in the middle of town so that the boat could be launched from either beach - they’re about a mile apart if you count the dogleg onto the actual street the station is on. The new station (2017) is on the north beach since that option’s no longer considered necessary - I think it was really a leftover from pulling-and-sailing days since the headland’s no real obstacle to a modern boat. But if the Tarbert situation means a longer sea transit, the technique could be resurrected.

Pete

 

[Bru]

If the RNLI is struggling to maintain sufficient crew at Leverburgh, would they be any better placed to do so at Tarbert?

 

[Minchsailor]

I imagine keeping a Shannon at Tarbert for launching on the west side may be a challenge. Its a while since I visited west Loch Tarbert but I cannot remember a slipway that would be robust enough for trolley launch.

As for manning - over the years the small boat fishing fleet in South Harris (the most probable source of crew) seems to be declining. The pontoon at Poll Scrot (Loch Stocknish) was always well used - the last couple of years there has always been plenty of room when I popped in. Likewise, I've not seen so many FVs at Scalpay North Harbour.

 

[JohnMurrell]

The latest news is that the RNLI together with the local management group are considering replacing the Shannon with an Atlantic 85. Analysis shows this would be able to perform most of the rescues undertaken by the Shannon. The advantage is that it needs a smaller crew which should be more sustainable from the local population.

RNLI press release is at RNLI Leverburgh to Receive New Lifeboat Following Consultation Process | RNLI

 

[ProDave]

Is the issue the crew need to be really close to the station for a quick launch? Would relaxing that requirement be an option? e.g if it took a crew half an hour to get to the boat by car that is still way better than waiting for the Stornoway boat to get there by sea?

 

[JohnMurrell]

Is the issue the crew need to be really close to the station for a quick launch? Would relaxing that requirement be an option? e.g if it took a crew half an hour to get to the boat by car that is still way better than waiting for the Stornoway boat to get there by sea?

I'm not sure - one problem is that you need a qualified Coxswain, Mechanic & Navigator to launch a Shannon. Realistically you probably need a minimum of 3 of each to allow for periods when some are not available. In terms of the response time it may be better to have an Atlantic85 launch quickly rather than wait for a Shannon crew to arrive in 1/2 hour ? I don't know what sort of shouts this station responds too - I'm too biased to the South Coast and the shouts that happen there.

 

[JohnMurrell]

I don’t know if there’s any specific limit to how far a Supacat carriage system can drive. I doubt it - it’s probably more about how much extra time a long trundle adds to the launch. But if it saves time overall compared to the boat taking the long way round a headland, it may still be the best option.

The old Llandudno station was in the middle of town so that the boat could be launched from either beach - they’re about a mile apart if you count the dogleg onto the actual street the station is on. The new station (2017) is on the north beach since that option’s no longer considered necessary - I think it was really a leftover from pulling-and-sailing days since the headland’s no real obstacle to a modern boat. But if the Tarbert situation means a longer sea transit, the technique could be resurrected.

Pete

The problem may be the number of shore crew required to guard either side of the Supacat from people (and sheep) trying to cross the path. The rig has quite large blind spots when moving boat first. Stations like Dungenss that have a long track across the shingle need plenty of shore crew and the Supacat is not exactly fast. The distance at Dungeness is now so far due to shingle buildup that they are considering a new station nearer the water. The shingle buildup is partly due to efforts to stop the shingle around the Nuclear Power Stations being washed away.

 

[JohnMurrell]

Ouch! Down in the south lifeboats are often very close together and only a few minutes to get there.
Time from Stornoway to Taransay, or Barra to St Kilda doesn’t bear thinking about. Many hours even if flat water and able to do 25 knots.
PS. i wonder if a long term solution could be tractor launch boat at Tarbert, Harris - hence able to launch direct to East or West coasts, and bypass the Sound of Harris entirely

It is approaching 40 miles between ALB stations Ramsgate and Walton on the Naze now Margate's ALB has been withdrawn as there is nowhere to build a new station for a Shannon. That area covers the Thames estury with a high concentration of shipping.

 

[jamie N]

I can't think that there's enough crew available in Leverburgh or Tarbert to man a Shannon on a 24/365 basis. It's hard enough for the Stornoway boat, which has a far larger population/seafarer base to work from.
To have a boat go from East to West Loch Tarbert is a wonderful notion, but utterly impractical in the real world, and basically impossible given a low tide situation.
Either Barra or Stornoway would be swifter on site, than would a Tarbert boat, having to cross from 1 Loch to the other.

 

[dunedin]

I can't think that there's enough crew available in Leverburgh or Tarbert to man a Shannon on a 24/365 basis. It's hard enough for the Stornoway boat, which has a far larger population/seafarer base to work from.
To have a boat go from East to West Loch Tarbert is a wonderful notion, but utterly impractical in the real world, and basically impossible given a low tide situation.
Either Barra or Stornoway would be swifter on site, than would a Tarbert boat, having to cross from 1 Loch to the other.

Not sure why the tide would make much difference at Tarbert Harris ? Slightly longer slipway perhaps, but not huge tides compared to many locations.
And how long would it take the ALB from Stornoway to reach Taransay, for example - let alone St Kilda? Probably 3 hours from launch in Stonoway to Taransay (c 60nm through Sound of Harris) in calm to moderate condition, much longer in serious weather.