Speaker - Ian Black - Dangers and Perils in St Andrews Bay

Tue, Sep 26th 2017 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm


Ian Black gave a talk to Kilrymont Rotary Club on the history of the fishing industry in St. Andrews and also the development of the local lifeboats. 
Ian spoke about the courage of the local fishermen and recalled a tragedy in November 1765 when a group of men in five boats were caught in a sudden storm off the Kinkell headland.
They chose to cut their lines and head back to the harbour but against the tide and with huge breakers two of the yawls were tossed together killing all the crew. The other boats were driven onto Burns Stool rocks and in all 12 men lost their lives.
In one fell swoop the entire St. Andrews fleet was lost. An inquiry was held with proposals were made to blow up the rocks and extend the pier.
Fishing did return to St. Andrews and in 1803 two boats came down from Shetland. One returned north within months but the remaining skipper married locally and stayed. Other boats came on the scene and a small fleet was active again.
In 1823 another winter storm claimed three boats driven onto the breakers at the West Sands but fortunately a local inn keeper had a yawl which acted as lifeboat and it made nine journeys to rescue the men. Only three crew perished, they having elected to stay with the wrecks to avoid salvage charges!
This event prompted St. Andrews council to pay each lifeboatman who risked their lives 10 shillings every time they were called out. 
Citizens provided a new shallow-bottomed boat suitable for the West Sands. It had 16 airtight compartments and two long compartments filled with cork chips--like the RNLI boats designed since the start of the institution in 1824..
So began the provision, by public subscription, of a lifeboat and called the "Volunteer Lifeboat". The St. Andrews boat gave over 60 years' service.
Later a lifeboat station was built at the East Sands. It closed in 1938 and was resurrected in 1955 as the home of the sailing club where it remains to this day.
Ian went on to tell of the arduous work done by women in the fishing industry in the early days before talking about the technological advances in fishing boats through steam power and then diesel engines.
Ian said that historically the St Andrews fisherfolk were regarded as low class and did not have the respect of the council. This led to no investment in infrastructure in the 19th century and eventually St. Andrews lost out to the East Neuk harbours.
Ian said that nowadays there were a number of small skiffs at St. Andrews which layed creels in waters off the Kinkell cliffs and the fishermen provided hotels with crabs and lobsters.
Anne Tait proposed thanks for a comprehensive and informative talk. A collection raised £170 for the RNLI.

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