Barra Island's station history

A Watson class lifeboat ON684, John R Webb, built at a cost of £8,747, was put into service.

A new Barnett class lifeboat ON754, The Lloyd's, built at a cost of £9,443, was put into service.

John McNeil, a member of the crew, was taken ill and died of pneumonia following the capsize of the boarding boat following a service on 22 January.  The Institution granted pensions to his dependants.

Silver Medal awarded to Coxswain Murdo Sinclair for a service on 5 September.  The reserve Watson class motor lifeboat Duke of Connaught launched at 9am and proceeded on a 40 mile journey to Loch Bracadale on the Isle of Skye where the 9,000 ton s.s. Urlana had run aground in gale force winds with continual rain and heavy seas.  As Coxswain Sinclair rounded her stern a collision with a motor boat full of survivors from the stricken vessel was narrowly avoided.  Shortly after the motor boat’s engine failed and only after great difficulty did the lifeboat tow her to the rescue vessel before setting out for Carbost on the opposite side of the Loch arriving at 6 pm.

A new Barnett class lifeboat ON935, RA Colby Cubbin No 3, built at a cost of £38,500, is put into service.

The Barra Island 15m Barnett Class lifeboat, R A Colby Cubbin No 3, capsizes at 3.46am on 18 November 1979, off the west coast of Scotland while answering a distress call from the Danish coaster Lone Dania. The Islay lifeboat, a Thames Class named Helmut Schroder of Dunlossit also capsizes at 1.45am while on service to the same casualty. Both lifeboats righted successfully without loss of life by their different righting methods.

The Barra Island lifeboat is fitted with an airbag which automatically inflates in the event of a capsize, while the Islay lifeboat is inherently self-righting by means of a watertight superstructure. It's the first time that either of these classes of lifeboat have capsized on service and the Institution's inquiry found that "... there was no failure of the lifeboats or their equipment which contributed to the capsizes". An analysis of the weather on that night shows that the winds were gusting to force 11/12, and the significant height of the waves was around 9m with a 10% chance of encountering a sea of 18m. These seas are later described by the investigator as "diabolical", with the coxswain of the Islay lifeboat stating that the weather was as bad as he had experienced in 17 years in the lifeboat service.

The coaster Sapphire was standing by and, in hazardous conditions, managed to pass a tow to the Barra lifeboat. The tow parted on several occasions and was finally handed over to the local fishing vessel Notre Dame for the last part of the passage back to station. The lifeboat, with her four remaining crew members, arrived at Barra at 3.40pm, after nearly 16 hours at sea.

Solent class lifeboat withdrawn and replaced by an Arun class, the Ann Lewis Fraser ON1143.

New boathouse constructed. This provides a boat store/workshop, assembly room, kitchen, a small store and toilet facilities.

A new Schat launching davit for the boarding boat is installed alongside the quay.

The new station Severn class lifeboat ON1230, Edna Windsor, is placed on service on Saturday 13 June 1998 and funded by the generous bequest of Edna Windsor, together with the legacies of Elizabeth Robertson Brechin, Irene Isabel Seaman, Evelyn Mary Stonehouse and Elsie Taylor.

An alongside berth is completed in October.

Bronze Medal awarded to Coxswain Donald MacLeod in recognition of his initiative, leadership and seamanship when the lifeboat escorted the damaged yacht Vijara to safety on 21 June 2006. In severe gale conditions and with 11m seas breaking over the lifeboat, Coxswain MacLeod made passage through the Sound of Barra to intercept the yacht.  Once located, the yacht was escorted to Castle Bay via the Sound of Sandray. During this passage, the lifeboat’s navigation equipment proved unreliable and Coxswain MacLeod had to rely on his local knowledge. At the approach to the Sound of Sandray, the lifeboat suffered a knockdown. Despite this, the lifeboat maintained position to lead the yacht to safety.

In 2007, the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society award their Lady Swaything Trophy for an outstanding feat of seamanship to Coxswain MacLeod for this service.

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chair of the Institution Admiral Sir Jock Slater is also presented to Coxswain Donald MacLeod for a service on 20 June 2006 when two other yachts, Knights Challenge and Rugffian (also taking part in the same race as the Vijara), were assisted and brought to safety in similar weather conditions.