Final farewell for veteran Portree RNLI lifeboat

RNLB Stanley Watson Barker, a Trent class vessel, took up the duties of the official Portree lifeboat in 1996 – a position which she held for 30 years.

During her long service, she launched to 530 incidents. 458 people were aided by the lifeboat and her crew, and 11 lives were saved.

The veteran lifesaving vessel officially handed over the title of Portree lifeboat to the brand-new £2.78M Shannon class RNLB Peter and Mary on Monday 1 June 2026.

Members of the public are being invited to say a final farewell to Stanley Watson Barker during the station Open Day on Saturday 15 August, before she heads off to pastures new.

Portree RNLI was first established in 1991, with the Waveney class lifeboat Ralph & Joy Swann permanently assigned to the station following a trial period using a relief vessel. The Waveney was the first class of lifeboats to be operated by the RNLI and was based on the design being used by the United States Coast Guard at the time.

David Beaton, Chairman of Portree Lifeboat Station and the Portree Lifeboat Fundraisers, first joined the volunteer crew of Portree RNLI in 1992. He loved working at sea on trawlers and creel boats and wanted to extend his maritime knowledge, while giving something back to the community at the same time.

David recalls:

‘The Waveney class lifeboat was our first full-time station boat. It was a phenomenal sea boat, all be it not very comfortable for the crew on a poor night. We had it in some precarious situations and it never let you down.’

In June 1996, Portree welcomed a new Trent class lifeboat to the Isle of Skye station, which had been built at a cost of £1,175,000 and had double the engine power and range of its predecessor. It was officially named Stanley Watson Barker and was funded from the bequest of the late Mr Stanley Watson Barker, former town clerk for Barking and Dagenham, together with legacies from Mr Jack R. Blaxland and Mrs Eileen Arabian.

David trained to become Deputy Second Coxswain onboard the new lifeboat and remembers seeing her for the first time:

‘When we went down to Poole in 1996 to see our new Trent class boat, which became affectionately known as ‘Stan’, we were completely blown away with her. She is an amazing boat which has proven its worth - time and time again - over the last 30 years. It was a privilege to be part of her crew.

‘I could talk all day about the memories aboard both boats and every successful rescue is a good memory. But there have also been some sadder memories too along the way.’

The current station Mechanic at Portree RNLI, John ‘Clanky’ Nicolson, is also a long-serving crew member, having served onboard both the Waveney and Trent class lifeboats.

John said:

‘When the Portree station first opened, the crew were alerted to a ‘shout’ by rocket maroons launched from the pier. We use pagers nowadays of course, which the crew always carry with them. A lot has changed in terms of technology and paperwork, but the primary focus remains – to save lives - and we are proud to be a part of that.

‘Being part of the crew is like being part of an extended family, you have to trust your crew and your lifeboat with your life, and we have a really tight-knit crew here.’

Both David and John have family members following in their RNLI footsteps. David’s son, Iain Beaton, is a volunteer Coxswain and crew member at the station and John’s son, Stuart Nicolson, is the full-time station Coxswain.

David and John were together on the very first shout for Stanley Watson Barker in 1996. In 2026, Iain and Stuart were on the crew for the first shout for the brand-new lifeboat Peter and Mary.

David added:

‘We live on an island and everyone has some connection with the sea, through family, work or pleasure. To have the RNLI show confidence in our community to crew, manage and support a multi-million-pound state of the art boat is an honour. Without the support of the Skye & Raasay communities we could not function, so we try and involve all sections of the community in everything we do.

‘The fundraising gives you a real buzz as well. The target is always to beat the previous year’s total, which we have managed for the last 4 years. Bringing the community together for events like Burns Night is a great feeling, to see people enjoying themselves and meeting old friends, while contributing to our lifeboat station gives us all a great sense of pride.

‘Portree’s lifeboats have been the envy of other RNLI stations. They have always received positive comments by visitors and rightly so. This is thanks to our crew here at Portree RNLI, but to John ‘Clanky’ Nicolson in particular, who has always taken a great pride in the lifeboats. He has passed this pride on to his son Stuart (our current full-time Coxswain) who is also meticulous and keeps the boat gleaming. They both owe me a dram for saying that!’

Douglas MacDougall, Portree RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said:

‘The excitement of receiving a new, state of the art lifesaving asset a few months ago is, at the same time, tinged with a fair degree of sadness in full knowledge it's 'Anchors aweigh' to a trusty servant on our coastline.

‘RNLB (ON1214) Stanley Watson Barker 14-16, since being placed on service in Portree in 1996, launched to 530 incidents, aiding 458 people, of which 11 lives were saved.

‘With those statistics in mind, I pay tribute to and commend the Coxswains, Mechanics, crew and operational management who steadfastly served during the 30 years of 'Stanley's' tenure in Portree.

‘That chapter in Portree RNLI's relatively short history is now closed and we once again look enthusiastically to the future with RNLB Peter and Mary 13-59’.

For over two hundred years, lifeboat volunteers and crew members around the UK and Ireland have been launching in response to calls for help. As a charity, the RNLI relies on donations to help maintain the lifesaving service that it provides.

ENDS

Notes to editors

· All photos and videos in this press release should be credited to RNLI/Robert MacInnes apart from the image of Peter and Mary & Stanley Watson Barker, which should be credited to Martin Fish/lifeboatphotos and shows Peter and Mary arriving at Portree for the very first time on 18 April 2026.

· We are not able to comment on the future of Stanley Watson Barker at present.

· Portree lifeboat Peter and Mary 13-59 officially took over the Portree RNLI service on 1 June 2026. The Shannon class is the smallest and lightest form of all-weather lifeboat, being designed and built entirely in-house by the RNLI. With a top speed of 25 knots – matching the speed of current lifeboat Stanley Watson Barker - it is propelled by water jets rather than propellors which offers an increased level of manoeuvrability. It has a uniquely designed hull to improve handling and efficiency when at sea, even in rough weather, including only needing 80% of its engine power to reach top speed. The Shannon class also has self-righting capabilities. Read more here: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2026/june/01/new-278m-portree-rnli-lifeboat-officially-enters-servic...

· Portree Lifeboat Station was established in 1991. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/portree-lifeboat-station

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Robert MacInnes, Lifeboat Press Officer at Portree RNLI: 07950 421829 / [email protected]

Richard Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Scotland: 07826 900639 / [email protected]

Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Scotland: 07920 365929 / [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.