Services by RNLB Hope

Schooner "John Perry" - 2 Oct 1885

The first effective service of the RNLB Hope was to the schooner "John Perry" of Beaumaris when three lives were saved.

That same day Ramsey lifeboat was called upon to take off the crew of a Norwegian brig the "Professo" which was in danger of being driven ashore and had had to cut away her masts.

Schooner "Julia" and the smack "Swift" - 8 Dec 1886

On the 8th December 1886 the Lifeboat and the Rocket Brigade were called to assist in the rescues of the schooner "Julia" of Runcorn and the fishing smack "Swift" of Douglas. Both had been riding to anchor at Derbyhaven during a W.S.W. storm. At about 2 p.m. the lifeboat was successfully launched into a heavy surf and after struggling their way through the heavy seas reached the vessels and took off their crews; 8 people in all were safely landed. The two boats safely rode out the gales.

This storm caused fearful damage throughout the Island and further afield during that Wednesday and into the following day. A large number of vessels were forced to shelter off Ramsey and a large Norwegian barque was forced to cut away her masts. RNLI lifeboats at Thurso, Scotland saved eleven men and a further three at Tenby, S Wales. Disaster struck on the Thursday night when the lifeboat crews of the Southport and St Anne's lifeboats were overwhelmed with the loss of 27 hands whilst going to the assistance of the 3 masted barque "Mexico" of Hamburg which had been driven onto the sandbanks. The crew of the "Mexico" was rescued by the Lytham Lifeboat, which safely returned back to Lytham. This disaster struck the nation and became one of the infamous services in the history of the Lifeboat service.

Schooner "Lyra" - 3 Jan 1888 - this service involved both Castletown, Port Erin Lifeboats and a shore boat from Port St Mary when the Port St Mary Schooner the Lyra was wrecked on the Carrick [ also there is a photograph of the Hope being hauled through the streets of PSM the day after the service]

Schooner "Madryn" - 6 Feb 1889

On 6 th February 1889 the schooner "Madryn" of Caernarfon was saved along with her crew of three. At four o'clock on that Friday afternoon during a strong northwesterly gale, a large schooner was observed off Fort Island displaying a flag of distress. The Lifeboat and the Rocket Corps set off from Castletown Quay, and within half an hour from the first signal the lifeboat was launched off Derbyhaven beach, and at once proceeded to the disabled vessel. It was discovered that she had sprung a leak during the previous night whilst bound from Greenock to Douglas with a cargo of coal. The lifeboat put two of their crew on board the schooner, which with great difficulty was then brought safely into Derbyhaven Bay.

It was also reported that another schooner was labouring heavily at anchor in Castletown Bay and that there were grave fears as to her safety if the wind should veer to the south west, however the services of the Lifeboat do not seem to have been required.

IoM Steam packet vessel "Monas Isle" - 6 Sept 1892

On the night of Tuesday, 6th September 1892, the Isle of Man Steam Packet steamer "Mona's Isle" ran ashore, during thick fog, between Poolvaish and the Stack at Scarlett whilst carrying some three to four hundred passengers. The vessel was under the command of Captain Ruthven and had been returning from a day sailing to Dublin . The passengers were all very collected under the circumstances. Mr Horsham, a coastguard, heard the fog horn of a steamer blowing. When the fog lifted he discerned the whereabouts of the steamer by the signals she was sending up. He immediately fired the rocket signal and in a few moments the crews of the lifeboat and the Castletown Rocket Brigade appeared . The Rocket Corps cart, under the command of the Rev. E Ferrier, was got out and at about quarter to twelve was close to the wreck. When the Rocket Corps got there they found that a number of the passengers had safely landed by means of ropes and ladders. The Captain did not at first seem inclined to communicate with the Rocket Corps however a little later it was decided to take the passengers off. Using rockets a hawser was made fast and by two o'clock 102 people had been landed by breaches buoy. The lifeboat was close by but she was unable to render any assistance.

At about quarter past nine the IOMSP Co vessel, Tynwald, came steaming round Langness and dropped anchor about half a mile from the shore, in the vicinity of the Mona's Isle. The lifeboat, which had hung about all the time, also to a kedge anchor some hundred yards from the ship, kept a cable drawn taut to keep the ship steady when the tide rose. The wind at this time freshened. At about half past eleven the Tynwald fixed three hawsers to the stranded vessel, however the Mona's Isle remained firmly aground and attempts to refloat the vessel were abandoned.

During Thursday another two attempts were made to refloat the vessel but these were unsuccessful however at the following high tide, a little after midnight Friday morning, the Mona's Isle was finally refloated. The Mona's Isle and the Tynwald then made for Liverpool where The Mona's Isle went to a graving dock for a thorough survey.

Schooner "Mary Jane" - 13 Dec 1894

On the Thursday,13th December 1894 at quarter past nine in the morning. A severe southwesterly gale had been blowing when a schooner was observed in Derbyhaven dragging towards Santon Head. The lifeboat was at once launched and under the command of Cox. Fred Cleator proceeded to the vessel under her oars. The Rocket Corps was also standing by ready to render any assistance in their power. The lifeboat gained the vessel after about half an hour and after the crew had been taken off the schooner, the lifeboat stood for home under her sails and took an hour to beat back. It was found that the schooner was the 'Mary Jane' of Ramsey bound for Castletown with a cargo of coal. She had anchored in Derbyhaven the previous night in order to shelter and when the gale had reached its height at about 8 o'clock on Thursday morning, its was found that she was dragging her anchors to such an extent that the crew hoisted signals for assistance. When the crew were taken off the 'Mary Jane' both anchors were left down and as the day went on they appeared to hold and by the evening the vessel was seen to be in a perfectly safe position.

Steamer "Vigilant" - 7 Feb 1895

During early February 1895 the Island was covered by blizzards. At 9.15 am on the 7th of that month the Castletown lifeboat was called out in a blinding snowstorm to go to the assistance of a steamer which had gone ashore near Kentraugh, however before the lifeboat could be launched , soldiers from the Castletown Garrison had to dig a road through a hundred yards of snow between 2 and 3 feet deep. The snow had drifted up to six feet deep against the lifeboathouse.

The 430 tons steamer 'Vigilant', of Liverpool had been bound for Belfast from Burryport when it went ashore at the Cronnags near Kentraugh at two o'clock on that Thursday morning. Six of the crew were taken off by a small boats crew from Port St Mary and the remaining six were taken off by the lifeboat. The men were in a very exhausted state having been on the bows of the 'Vigilant' for eight hours, and landed at Port St Mary. The steamer subsequently became wrecked.

Schooner "Emu" - 19 Nov 1895

At 2 am on 19th November the schooner 'Emu' of Douglas was driven ashore behind Queens Street and just inside the Seal Rock. She was carrying a cargo of salt from Runcorn to Moville, Ireland under the command of Mr Hawkins . She had experienced the full force of the SSE gale, which was blowing and breaking both booms she became partly unmanageable and was forced to run for Castletown Bay. She failed to reach the harbour and was driven ashore. This was seen and signals calling the lifeboat crew and the rocket brigade were sounded. Both services responded quickly and just as the lifeboat was drawing alongside the schooner , the Rocket Corps made an accurate throw of the lifeline between her masts. The Captain and the crew preferred the lifeboat and were safely brought ashore. At high water of the next tide, the 'Emu' was floated off the beach and taken into Castletown harbour.

Cutter "Luffra" - 29 May 1896

The last effective service for the 'Hope' came on the 29 May 1896 to the cutter 'Luffra', of Douglas which had been reported to be in distress and quite unmanageable off Santon Head while a whole gale was blowing from the north east with a heavy sea. The lifeboat was launched at 2.42 p.m. and rescued the sole occupant of the vessel. She was engaged over seven hours in rendering this service and did not regain her station until 10 o'clock at night.

Ketch "Elma" - 8 October 1896

Early in the morning of the 8th, a Danish ketch called " Elma", bound from Liverpool to Iceland with a cargo of salt ran ashore at the Lime Kilns , Scarlett during a SSW storm. The Castletown Rocket Brigade and the Lifeboat were called out. The Brigade were quickly at the scene and found that the crew of six had already saved themselves by climbing along the jib boom and then dropping on to the rocks. With in an hour the "Elma" had totally broken up.