Troon History
1871 The station was established at the request of the local inhabitants. The first lifeboat was a 32ft rowing boat and the boathouse was built at a cost of £250.
1905 The lifeboat was kept afloat all year.
1929 Bowman Thomas Warren died as a result of exposure when the new lifeboat was on passage to the station.
New shore facilities were built.
1941 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain William McAuslane and a Bronze Medal to Albert J Ferguson for rescuing seven people from the steamer Moyallon on 6 December 1940.
1949 Second Coxswain J McCaull collapsed and died whilst on exercise on 12 November. He had been coxswain from 1901 to 1920 and had 33 years of lifeboat service.
The shore facilities were moved next to the Inner Basin, close to the lifeboat moorings.
1953 A sealed bottle of rum, which had been in two successive Troon lifeboats for 16 years, was opened during an exercise when an American airman, who was to be 'rescued' by a helicopter, was accidentally knocked out.
1971 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1980 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Crew Member Roy Trewern for rescuing two stranded people on 8 December 1979.
A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson for rescuing five crew from the dredger Holland I during a storm.
1985 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Acting Coxswain/Assistant Mechanic Thomas Laurence Devenny for rescuing three crew from the fishing vessel Golden Years on 18 October 1984.
1987 A new boathouse was built providing a crew room, workshop and store, a fuel store, and toilet facilities.
A new Arun class lifeboat was placed on station.
1989 Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Emergency Mechanic David Seaward and Crew Member Paul Aspin for rescuing ten cadets from the training ship Mountbatten. Coxswain/Mechanic Ian Johnson received a Framed Letter of Thanks.
1993 A collective Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to the Coxswain and crew after they rescued four crew from the yacht Anat on 23 May 1992.
1996 An extension to the boathouse was completed providing an improved workshop, souvenir sales outlet, a crew room and galley.
2004 Following a Coast Review a D class lifeboat was placed on service in January and a new D class boathouse and davit were completed in September.
The new Trent class lifeboat Jim Moffat was placed on service in February. 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.
Station honours
At Troon lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 3
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 3
Bronze Medal 1
Silver Medal 2
