Troon's Station history

Lifeboat house constructed at a cost of £250.

It was decided that the lifeboat should be kept afloat all the year round and that the present house be sold.  Lifeboat house sold to Ayr County Council.

Death of Bowman Thomas Warren following deterioration in his health after he had suffered from exposure on passage of new lifeboat to station in November 1929.  A pension was paid to his widow.

Silver Medal awarded to Coxswain William McAuslane and Bronze Medal to Albert J Ferguson for the rescue on 6 December 1940 of seven people from the steamer Moyallon of Belfast in a whole north west gale with heavy seas and fierce squalls of rain.  It was a service in which great courage and splendid seamanship was shown.

Second Coxswain J McCaull collapsed and died whilst on exercise on 12 November.  McCaull had 33 years of lifeboat service and he had been coxswain from 1901 to 1920.  His grandfather had also been coxswain.  The widow was granted an allowance.

A bottle of rum which lay sealed in two successive Troon lifeboats for 16 years was opened during an exercise trip when an American airman who was to be 'rescued' by a helicopter was accidentally knocked out.

Centenary Vellum awarded.

Silver Medal awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson in recognition of his courage, leadership and fine seamanship when the lifeboat went alongside the Dutch dredger Holland I, in danger of breaking her moorings off Irvine Harbour fairway beacon, on five occasions to rescue her crew of five in a westerly storm and a very rough sea on 12 September 1980.

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman, The Duke of Atholl, awarded to crew member Roy Trewern in recognition of his commendable action on 8 December 1979, when he volunteered to take a dinghy being carried by the lifeboat to the Black Rocks to assist two wildfowlers stranded by the flooding tide.  A letter from the Director was sent to Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson in recognition of the skilful manner in which the rescue was carried out.

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Acting Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Thomas Laurence Devenny in recognition of the skill and initiative he displayed when the lifeboat rescued the crew of three and saved the fishing vessel Golden Years in a south-south-westerly storm and a very rough sea on 18 October 1984.

Boathouse constructed to provide a workshop and store, a fuel store, crewroom and toilet facilities.

New Arun class lifeboat was placed on station late 1987 and in order for her to be moored satisfactorily remedial dredging of the berth was carried out.

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to Emergency Mechanic David Seaward and crew member Paul Aspin who manned the lifeboat's Y boat in difficult and dangerous sea conditions on 14 July 1988 and rescued ten female cadets from the Training Ship Mountbatten which was aground outside of Ayr Pier.  Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson received a Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman, The Duke of Atholl for his cool professional control of this service in difficult conditions.

A collective Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman, Mr Michael Vernon was presented to Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson, Second Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic William Arnold, Deputy Second Coxswain Stephen Aspin and crew members Charles Davies, William Fergusson, Brian Hannah, Brian Hedges and J Millar in recognition of their fine display of teamwork when the City of Glasgow III lifeboat rescued the four crew of the yacht Anat and saved the boat on 23 May 1992.  The yacht, with two men and two teenage boys onboard, had suffered steering and engine failure in winds gusting to gale force and rough seas three miles east of Holy Isle.

An extension to the boathouse was completed which provided, on the ground floor, an improved workshop and souvenir sales outlet, and a crewroom and galley on the first floor.

Following the visit on 15 October 2003 by the Coast Review delegation, led by Rear Admiral John Tolhurst, it was agreed by the Operations Committee on 4 February 2004 and resolved by the Trustee Committee at their meeting on 31 March 2004 that once the Trent class lifeboat is on service at Troon, there be no change to the ALB cover.  It was also resolved that subject to confirmation that the crewing arrangements are satisfactory, that a D Class ILB be co-located at this station.

The new station Trent class lifeboat ON1275 RNLB Jim Moffat was placed on service on 18 February 2004.  This lifeboat was funded through the Generous gifts of The Moffat Charitable Trust, Miss I F Harvey’s Charitable Trust, Mr A Boyd Tunnock, MBE and other monies raised through The Lifeboats of the Clyde Appeal 2004.

Relief lifeboat D-468 Colin Martin was placed on service on 22 January 2004.

New D class boathouse and davit completed in September at a cost of £51,327.

A new D class, D-684 Telford Shopping Centre was placed on service on 19 December 2007.  This lifeboat was funded the proceeds of collections & of shopkeepers of Telford shopping centre.

On Thursday 9 June 2016, a Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was presented to Coxswain Colin (Joe) Millar and Girvan’s Second Coxswain Gary McGarvie following a callout 14 January 2015 when a 140-tonne trawler had fouled its propeller six miles off Troon in rapidly deteriorating weather conditions. The impressive team work of Coxswains Joe Millar and Gary McGarvie saved four people from a perilous situation, while also ensuring their own crews stayed safe

A Framed Letter of Thanks from the Chairman of the Institution was presented to Troon crew members Trevor Boyes, Allan Craig and Paul Morledge. Girvan crew members Barry Hubbard, Ian McClymont, Henry McMaster, Keith Woods and John Tait also received a Framed Letter of Thanks.

A new D class, D-821 Sheena was placed on service on 25 April 2018  This lifeboat was funded by the legacy of Miss Sheena Farmer.