Eyemouth RNLI Crew Recreate Arrival Of Their First Lifeboat

Eyemouth RNLI lifeboat station was established in 1876 after a few of years of extreme winter storms endangered the fishing fleet. The Royal Nation Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) agreed to the establishment of a lifeboat station in Eyemouth “… for the protection of the fishermen of the place, who are frequently caught by sudden storms before being able to reach the shelter of the river Eye.”

The 'James and Rachel Grindlay' was a wooden lifeboat with four pairs of oars and a sail. Constructed in London at the Woolfe & Sons boatyard, the 30 ft. lifeboat was brought by train to Burnmouth railway station, then put onto a special carriage pulled by six ‘gaily decorated’ horses.

To celebrate 150 years of the lifeboat being stationed in Eyemouth, our volunteer crew followed the same route from Burnmouth to the coble house in Eyemouth.

No horse-power this time, our crew pulled our inshore lifeboat 'Sheila' the three miles into Eyemouth and around the town centre. Burnmouth village hall fed us tea and cake, then waved us off at midday, facing the biggest uphill stretch first.

Cheered on by local piper Sandy Mutch, and the waiting crowds giving encouragement, we pulled the boat into Eyemouth, along the High Street and alongside the harbour, arriving at the historic coble house near the harbour in good time. After a refuel (for the crew) the crew launched the D-class lifeboat 'Sheila' from the slipway and gave the crowds a display of her capabilities in the bay.

Thanks to donations and the RNLI pop-up shop we brought in £936! The money raised goes towards funding our lifesaving work.

The RNLI is a charity that has been saving lives at sea for 202 years, providing a 24/7 search and rescue service ‘for those in peril on the sea’, Eyemouth lifeboat station is proud to have continued this lifesaving tradition for 150 years. In that time, we have launched 927 times, saved 146 lives, and assisted hundreds more.

Many of our present crew have their own family tradition of service, with fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers named on the crew lists.

We no longer row open wooden lifeboats, and technology makes the search much easier, but much else is the same. Public service, teamwork, dropping all to run and launch the lifeboats when the call comes in, the fundamental values remain the same.

Our lifeboat station was established when the Eyemouth community came together to make it possible, and it has thrived for 150 years because of the community support, not only for crewing the boat but for the essential roles of fundraising and management. "The preservation of human life from shipwreck", remains the first object of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, powered by volunteers.

RNLI media contacts

Wendy Lorimer, Lifeboat Press Officer, 07946650114, [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