Oban Lifeboat Station is located at South Pier House on Gallanach Road in Oban, a harbour town approximately north-west of Glasgow, overlooking the Firth of Lorn, in the county of Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

A lifeboat was first stationed at Oban by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on 22 May 1972.

The station currently operates 13-50 The Campbell Watson (ON 1357), a All-weather lifeboat, on station since 2024.

History With a general increase in leisure boating activity, and with the nearest lifeboat stations at and being over away, following a coastal review in 1971, the RNLI decided to place one of their larger Inshore lifeboats at Oban.

The Inshore lifeboat A-505 (previously given the All-weather designation 18-005) arrived at Oban on 5 May 1972. The boat was kept at a mooring off the wooden pier, and a small inflatable dinghy was donated by local architect and hotelier Bill Crerar, to be used as the boarding boat. A tin-roofed shed on the South Pier leased from the local council would become the 'lifeboat station', as a place to store all essential equipment.

The first call for the lifeboat was just 19 days later on 24 May 1972, when three children, who had set out in their parents' sailing dinghy, found themselves unable to return in the strong winds, and were rescued as their boat headed towards the rocks of Creag Island.

A new lifeboat (A-511) was sent to the station in 1973. A contribution of £5,000 towards the cost of the boat was received from the North British Hotel Trust. The North British Hotel Trust was set up in 1902, with half the shareholding placed in trust, to ensure that a percentage of the profits were distributed to charitable organisations.

A service on 24 June 1974 resulted in the lifeboat towing a 16-ton vessel. Another call to two fishing boats, aground at Ardmore Point on Mull, took over two hours to reach the vessels. By 1976, it was clear that the Inshore lifeboat was being pushed to her operational limits, and sometimes beyond. In August 1978, Oban became an All-weather lifeboat station, with the arrival of a 42-foot Watson-class lifeboat, the Watkin Williams (ON 922). The boat was already 22-years-old at that time, but had served well at , and been involved in at least two RNLI Gold Medal rescues under the command of Richard Evans . The Inshore boat would remain on service.

Watkin Williams served Oban for three years, before being transferred to the relief fleet in 1981, and sold out of service in 1983. She was replaced for just one year by the Dorothy and Philip Constant (ON 967), another heading for retirement, but this boat had the advantage of being equipped with radar. However, delivering a top speed of just , speed was still an issue.

In 1982, the Inshore lifeboat was withdrawn, and the Offshore lifeboat was replaced. Oban was the first station to get a new class of lifeboat to replace the Dorothy and Philip Constant. The was a intermediate size lifeboat, with a crew of four, designed to meet operational requirements between the rigid inflatable Atlantic 21 class, and the larger lifeboats. Built by Lochin Marine of Rye Harbour, it had a GRP (Glass Reinforced Polymer) hull, and her twin Caterpillar '3208NA' diesel engines would deliver a top speed of .

Keen seafarers James and Ann Ritchie, of the Isle of Man brewing company Heron and Brearley, funded a lifeboat for , the James Ball Ritchie (ON 995), which arrived on service in 1970, shortly after James' death. Ann Ritchie, née Gough, President of the Ramsey Ladies Lifeboat Guild, decided to fund two more lifeboats: one for , 54-06 Gough Ritchie (ON 1051), and one for Oban.

The new Oban lifeboat was named 33-02 Ann Ritchie (ON 1080). Ann formally named the boat at a ceremony on 7 May 1983, and after a short trip on the boat, she was presented with a painting and a Caithness Glass bowl. These were returned to the station on her instruction, following her death in 1990.

The residue of Ann Ritchie's estate became the Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust. One third of its income is distributed to the RNLI for use on the Isle of Man, and has so far funded two more lifeboats.

At 03:32 on 31 January 1985, the Oban lifeboat Ann Ritchie was called to the aid of the 80-ton fishing vessel Shemara, aground on Lady's Rock, to the south west of Lismore Island. In poor conditions and shallow water, and in the dark, the eight crew were rescued after 14 attempts. Awards were made to the coxswain and crew.

1990s onwards

On 16 July 1997, Oban received the lifeboat 14-23 Mara Edith Macdonald (ON 1227). This was a much larger, and much more powerful lifeboat, her twin MAN diesel engines giving a top speed of . The Trent-class lifeboat served Oban for more than half of the time the station has existed. In some years, over 100 callouts were made.

In 2005, Mara Edith Macdonald was launched to the aid of the yacht Classic Wave which had lost power, with three people aboard. When the lifeboat arrived, the boat was aground on a shelf, and taking in water. Third mechanic Peter MacKinnon was sent aboard with a pump, but it had little effect, and it was decided to abandon the vessel. During this process, the boat suddenly slipped off the shelf and sank, a rope dragging MacKinnon under the water, but he managed to resurface, and all four men were rescued.

Three men and a woman were rescued from an upturned dinghy on 16 July 2023, off the Isle of Lismore. Spotted by a passing yacht, none were wearing life-jackets, and they had been unable to call for help as they had no radio, and their phones were submerged.

After 27 years on station, Mara Edith Macdonald was withdrawn to the relief fleet. Oban received a £2.2 million lifeboat on 4 March 2024, the same day as the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. The boat was two-thirds funded from the legacy of Mrs Elizabeth Watson, née Campbell, who died aged 90 in May 2021. Two other legacies also helped fund the boat.

Station honours The following are awards made at Oban: 'The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum' John Patrick Maclean, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1985 Vellum Service Certificates William E. Forteith – 1985 David M. Graham – 1985 Michael J. Robertson – 1985 Gold Medal, awarded by Silk Cut Nautical Awards (Bravery Category) John Patrick Maclean, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1985 William E. Forteith – 1985 David M. Graham – 1985 Michael J. Robertson – 1985 'A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution' Ronnie MacKillop, crew member – 2001 Ronnie MacKillop, Coxswain – 2005 Peter MacKinnon, Third Mechanic – 2005 Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) John Patrick Maclean, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1997QBH Norman Macleod, Honorary Secretary – 2002QBH

Oban lifeboats Inshore lifeboats Op.No. Name Class Comments 1972–1973 A-511 1973–1982

All-weather lifeboats ON Op.No. Name Built Class Comments 922 – Watkin Williams 1956 1978–1981 Previously at . Transferred to the Relief fleet. 967 – Dorothy and Philip Constant 1962 1981–1982 42-foot Watson Previously at . Transferred to the Relief fleet. 1080 Ann Ritchie 1982 1982–1987 1087 33-05 Merchant Navy 1983 1987–1989 Previously deployed in the Relief fleet. 1102 33-10 Nottinghamshire 1984 1989–1997 Previously at . 1227 14-23 1997 1997–2024 1357 13-50 The Campbell Watson 2023 2024– More post-service details can be found on the respective lifeboat class pages.

See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

References

Sources

External links Oban RNLI Lifeboat Station