Stromness History
1867 The RNLI established a station and a boathouse and slipway were built at the Ness to the south of the town.
1873 A Silver Medal was awarded to Robert Leask for saving two people from a capsized boat.
1890 The boat was kept on moorings in the harbour as it was difficult to launch from the Ness.
1902 There were problems keeping the lifeboat afloat and so a building was converted into a boathouse and a slipway was built.
1908 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Robert Greig for saving three people from the trawler Shakespeare on 11 December 1907.
1909 The station’s first motor lifeboat, ON-561John A Hay, was placed on service.
1922 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain William Johnston for rescuing two men from a small raft after their trawler Freesia had sunk on 1 January. They were the only survivors of a crew of 11.
1926 A new boathouse and slipway were built on the same site.
1929 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain William Johnston for rescuing 12 men from the trawler Carmania II, which was totally wrecked on the Kirks Rocks, Hoy Sound.
1967 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1984 An Arun class lifeboat was sent to the station and kept on moorings near Inner Holm Island off Stromness Harbour.
1989 The boathouse was adapted to provide a crew room, galley and a souvenir sales outlet.
1992 A collective Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Coxswain James Flett, Second Coxswain John Banks, Mechanic Ronald Taylor, Assistant Mechanic James Adam and crew members Douglas Adam, William Wilson and Robert Craigie for rescuing nine crew and saving the replica 12th century Hebridian birlinn Aileach.
1995 An alongside berth was provided on the South Pier.
1998 The Severn class lifeboat, ON1236 Violet, Dorothy and Kathleen, was placed on service on 22 October.
2002 Coxswain John Banks was awarded the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum for saving five crew members from the fishing vessel Faith Ann, 50 miles west of Orkney in force 9 winds and heavy seas. A tow was established but parted several times because of the conditions. The Faith Ann was successfully handed over to the Thurso lifeboat, which towed her into Thurso, escorted by the Stromness lifeboat.
Station honours
At Stromness lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 1
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 1
Bronze Medal 2
Silver Medal 2
