Phil Heath lets
Matt try the helmsman's seat
Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
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1985

Do you remember these BBC Blue Peter presenters
who visited the station in 1985?
Romana D'Annunzio, Richard Bacon and Katy Hill
Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
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2004
Station
receives 'Letter of Thanks' from Admiral Sir Jock
Slater, Chairman of the RNLI, for the 'Devotion to
Duty' of the crew and Station in the search for a
missing boy on 11th & 12th January 2004.
Holding
the framed letter is John Murray, Station Hon Secretary

Photo: RNLI - Portaferry
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2004

Photo: RNLI - B Rogers
October 2004
- Former crew member and webmaster, Dr Phil Heath,
who now resides in New Zealand, paid a visit to
Portaferry Lifeboat during a business trip to
Northern Ireland.
Phil (centre)
is pictured with Dessie Rogers, DLA and Jim Brown,
Station Co-ordinating Chairman.
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Easter 2002
Fun at the Easter
Collection

Photo: RNLI - Jim
Brown
Pat
Browne, Liz Brown and Joan Peacock enjoying their
RNLI fundrasinig at Portaferry's RNLI Shop during
the annual Easter collection
&
our
Treasurer, Capt Eddie McGee gets a little bit
of help with counting the proceeds.

Photo: RNLI - Jim
Brown
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February 2002
Fun and laughter at
the Portaferry & District Lifeboat Guild's
'Evening of Style &
Colour'

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown

December 2002
Tommy
Mason from Portaferry Lifeboat Station grew a
'Santa' beard to raise monies for the RNLI. The
'fungus' was removed on 2nd December at a 'Santa
Shave' held at McNamara's Bar, Portaferry and
raised further funds for the RNLI.
Newcastle
Lifeboat's coxswain, Franci Morgan and his crew
came to support Tommy's fundraising activities.

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
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13th January 2001
'To
the skipper and crew of the 'Blue Peter V'
"We just wanted to thank
you for coming to our aid on Saturday when we became
stranded at Island Hill, Comber. We have attached
some pictures taken by our son which we will keep
as a reminder to check the tides in the future!
Again
thanks for you help and professionalism - it is
incredibly reassuring to know you are protecting
the lough and surrounding area.
We
hope God keeps you all safe on future call-outs".

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The Crew Dinner - January 2002

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
Helmsman, Phil Heath, prior to
departure for New Zealand, receives a Portaferry Lifeboat
Station plaque and a framed montage of photographs
during his years of service from Billy Brown, President
of Portaferry RNLI.

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
Crew member Lynn
Brown helped again to organise the annual Crew Dinner

2000
Portaferry
Lifeboat crew members and station officials

Photo: RNLI
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1999
The Crew Christmas Dinner

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown

Crew members Phil Heath & Joe
Breen who helped to organise the festivities
Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
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1999

Photo: RNLI - Colin
Watson
Portaferry Lifeboat
Crew on one of their exercises with 72 Squadron from
Aldergrove, Co Antrim
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May 1999
'MAYDAY' run for Portaferry Crew

Photo: RNLI - Colin
Watson
Portaferry Lifeboat crew taking part in the Belfast
City Marathon on 'May Day' 1999

April 1999
Portaferry Lifeboat website
Dr Phil Heath (Helmsman) & Jim Brown
(Station President) establish Portaferry RNLI's
Website.

1998

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
Lieutenant
Commander Brian Miles, Director of the RNLI and his
wife Anne visited Portaferry Station prior to his
retirement from the RNLI in December 1998. Brian Miles
(front row, 5th from left)
is pictured with members of the station's management,
crew and guild.
Brian
Miles was closely involved with the establishment
of a lifeboat station at Portaferry in 1980.
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1997
HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent,
President of the RNLI, visits Portaferry RNLI

Photo: RNLI - Jim Brown
HRH
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, visited Portaferry RNLI.
The Duke of Kent is shown being greeted by Mr John
Murray, Station Hon Secretary, after being introduced
by Lt Commander Brian Miles, Director of the RNLI.
In uniform is Portaferry RNLI's President, Major Brownlow,
Lord Lieutenant of County Down.
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27
December 1994
The Kircubbin Disaster
Loss of five lives
One of the saddest days in the history
of the Portaferry Lifeboat station occurred on 27
December 1994.
Six men had set out earlier that day
in a 17ft single engined speedboat from the village
of Kircubbin, County Down, bound for Sketrick Island,
located on the western side of Strangford Lough.
Some of those on board had made the
3 mile crossing to Sketrick Island many times before.
During their return from Ballydornan
to Kircubbin later that night the outboard engine
of their speedboat developed problems off Sketrick
Island. One of those on board was able to advise
a relative in a brief mobile phone call that they
were in difficulties. It was a cold and
windy winter's night with heavy rain.
During attempts to restart the engine
the vessel capsized, plunging all six men into the
icy waters.
When the alarm was raised, Portaferry
and Newcastle lifeboats, two search and rescue helicopters
and coastguard search teams from Bangor, Newcastle,
Portaferry and Whiterock were tasked to the area.
For a few hours some confusion reigned
as to the numbers and names of those who were on board
the ill-fated boat. As news spread, family,
relations and friends began to arrive at Kircubbin
Sailing Club in the hope that their loved ones and
friends would be found.
Sadly, only one person, Stephen Martin,
was able to swim to safety ashore onto Trasnagh Island
where he was spotted and rescued by a SAR helicopter.
The body of Jackie McNamarra was found by coastguards
on the shoreline of Sketrick Island later that night
and two others, Hugo McCullough and Ronald Grant shortly
afterwards. Extensive searches for the two remaining
men continued throughout the night and for the following
two days with negative results.
On the afternoon of 29 December, after
all hope had gone of any survivors being found, the
coastguard service decided to scale down their official
rescue searches as the situation had changed from
one of rescue to that of recovery. Voluntary
searches continued by crews from Portaferry Lifeboat.
Due to on-going un-official searches
by diving organisations, yacht club members and the
general public, concerns were raised over the safety
and co-ordination of those involved in the search
and it was agreed with HM Coastguard to maintain the
civilian search co-ordination centre already established
at Kircubbin Sailing Club. It was agreed that
Joe Breen, an experienced diver and a helmsman of
the Portaferry Lifeboat, would co-ordinate the voluntary
under-water search teams. Jim Brown, also
from Portaferry Lifeboat Station, would continue to
co-ordinate communications and civilian shore and
water searches with the added assistance of Derek
Gilmore, Jimmy McCallister, Jim Rogers and many other
members of the Kircubbin Sailing Club.
During the following three days over
100 civilian search parties were organised from the
co-ordination centre at Kircubbin Sailing Club. Each
search party, consisting of at least 4 persons, combed
the waters and shoreline of Strangford Lough, often
in difficult winter weather conditions. Dive
teams, both police and civilian, carried out many
under-water searches. A water search-dog team was
also used on several occasions. Positions of
Items of clothing and other items found during the
searches were logged and the items handed over to
police for identification.
On 2 January 1995, following a meeting
at Kircubbin Sailing Club with the families of the
those still missing, which was attended by HM Coastguard,
Portaferry RNLI, dive teams and others involved in
the search, it was agreed that it was time to discontinue
the daily co-ordinated searches. Further searches
were to continue from time to time, at the weekend
following the meeting and thereafter at weekends until
the remains of those still missing were found.
On 15 January 1995, the wreckage of
the speedboat was located by divers and eventually
raised for examination.
A few weeks later the bodies of both
missing men, George Sweeney and Christopher Bell,
were washed ashore on different dates and locations
in Strangford Lough.
Over these weeks, hundreds of local
people and organisations had given their physical
and moral support to the rescue efforts and the recovery
of those missing.
Some, but not all, of those organisations
from outside the area who gave their assistance were;
Queen's University - Sub-Aqua
Team Neil
Powell & his water search dogs
Paddy Prunty & teams from
Lough Neagh Search and Rescue
Ballyholme Yacht Club - Diving
Club Drogheda
Sub-Aqua Club
Trim Divers North
West Mountian Rescue Team
Strangford Lough
Memorial Plaque
On 24 May 2004, a plaque was unveiled
close to the old Kircubbin Harbour, off Shore Road,
Kircubbin, by the Mayor of Ard's Borough Council,
Councillor Jim McBriar, in memory of all those who
had lost their lives on Strangford Lough. The
service of dedication was conducted by Rev Richard
Seymour-Whitley, Rev Bill Cameron and Father's Jim
Sheppard & Pat O'Neill.
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1989
Portaferry RNLI celebrates Cloughey
Lifeboat Station's 100th

Mrs
Anne Miles (left) with Lifeboat Guild members, Liz
Brown and Lea Bradshaw.
Photo: RNLI
Lieut Cdr Brian Miles, Director of
the RNLI, and his wife Mrs Anne Miles attended celebrations
on 22 and 23 September 1989 to celebrate 100 years
of RNLI life-saving in the area.
A centenary party was held on the
evening of 22 September and followed by an ecumenical
service of thanksgiving the following day.
Portaferry Lifeboat Station was officially
established by the RNLI in May 1980 after sea trials
during 1979.
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1988
Jess Brown names 'Voluntary Worker'
in Poole

Photo - RNLI
Jess Brown, Honorary
Secretary of Portaferry Lifeboat Guild, was invited
by the RNLI to name a new 'Tyne Class' lifeboat, 'Voluntary
Worker', at the RNLI's headquarters in Poole,
Dorset. The name of the new lifeboat was chosen
to honour all RNLI fundraisers.
'Voluntary Worker'
will be used in the RNLI's 'relief fleet' that provides
RNLI Lifeboat Stations with temporary 'replacement'
lifeboats when their lifeboat has to be withdrawn
from service due to mechanical or other problems.
Funding for the new
relief lifeboat was provided through the generous
financial support of Volvo and other organisations.
The Naming Ceremony
took place on 23rd September 1998.
Jess Brown was accompanied
by her husband, Dr Billy Brown, Portaferry Station's
Honorary Secretary. Several members of
Jess's family also attended the ceremony, as did some
of her friends and members of the Portaferry Lifeboat
Guild who had travelled to Poole from Northern Ireland.
Lt. Cdr. Brian Miles
RD, MNI, RNR, Director of the RNLI, opened the proceedings
and, following the Service of Dedication, introduced
Jess Brown to the large audience and praised her voluntary
work for the RNLI, linking this to the many volunteers
who carried out similar fundraising work for the RNLI
throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Jess Brown was then
invited to name the new 'Tyne Class' lifeboat, 'Voluntary
Worker'.
Music during the ceremony
was provided by the Queen Elizabeth School's band.
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1987
'Allo Allo'
It's Yvette on her search for René in
our 'Atlantic 21'

Vicki Michelle (Yvette,
Rene's waitress, in the BBC comedy series 'Allo Allo')
with crew members Billy Ellison, Francis Rogers and
Gabriel Rogers during a visit to Portaferry

1987

Photo: RNLI - Jim
Brown
A
small stone is imbedded in one of the entrance
pillars to Portaferry Lifeboat Station. Underneath
there is a plaque which reads;
'This stone
is from the last remains of the first Lifeboat
Station built at Formby in 1776'.
(The stone referred
to above was retrieved by the late Jess Brown
from the last remains of the first recorded Lifeboat
Station at Formby, England, the foundations of
which had almost disappeared through errosion
by the sea. The stone was placed into one of the
old gate pillars at the entrance to Portaferry's
first lifeboat station 210 years after the Formby
lifeboat station was built)
The remains of Formby lifeboat
station in 1986

Photo: RNLI - Jess
Brown
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1986

Photo: RNLI
Major
Brownlow, Lord Lieutenant of County Down and Chairman
of Portaferry Lifeboat Station, addresses those present
at the opening of the Station's new Boathouse. Seated
2nd from right, front row, is Dr Barry Bramwell, the
Station's 2nd President.
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1986

Portaferry
Lifeboat Guild and other members in 1986
Photo:
RNLI - Jess Brown
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1985

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15 May 1984

Her Majesty, The Queen Mother, presents
Desmond Rogers with his Bronze Medal in recognition
for his part in the 'Jane's Rock rescue' on 19 December
1982 at the RNLI Annual Meeting in the Royal Festival
Hall, London
Photo: RNLI

Sir John
Andrews, first President of Portaferry Lifeboat
Station, congratulates Desmond Rogers, Frank
Rogers and Billy Ellison.
Photo: RNLI - Portaferry
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1983
The history of the 'Routen Wheel' Race
The entrance to Strangford
Lough is located a few miles south of the most easterly
point of the island of Ireland.
Strangford Lough is
tidal and is fed with waters from the Irish Sea through
a narrow channel called 'The Narrows'.
'The Narrows' are approximately
5 Nautical Miles in length but with a navigable channel,
in places, only a few cables wide.
Mid-way along 'The
Narrows' there are a group of whirlpools known as
the 'Routen Wheel'. The tidal stream at the 'Routen
Wheel' can reach 8 knots during spring tides.
In the early 1980's
a Mr McCullough from the local village of Kircubbin
presented a large ship's wheel to Portaferry Lifeboat
Station following a rescue by Portaferry Lifeboat.
He asked that the trophy be used in rowing races
to raise monies for the RNLI and that the event should
be called the 'Routen Wheel Race'.
A
couple of years earlier, in May 1981, members of the
lifeboat crew had raised £2,100 during a 17
mile sponsored row, using two 16ft rowing boats with
six rowers each. The crew set off for Kircubbin
Sailing Club at 8:50 am on a wet and windy morning
and then travelled on to Strangford Lough Yacht Club
where they received lunch, after which they made their
long return journey back to Portaferry.

May 1981 - Crew members and
supporters of the 'Around the Lough Row'
The first 'Routen Wheel
Race' took place in 1983. The 6 mile race, using traditional
rowing boats, was from Portaferry to Killyleagh and
back to Portaferry.
Killyleagh Yacht Club
won the first event and in subsequent years the trophy
changed hands many times between Killyleagh Yacht
Club and Portaferry Sailing Club.

1986 - Jim Ferris,
Honorary Secretary of Killyleagh Yacht Club, accepts
the 'Routen Wheel' from Beth Duffin, RNLI Regional
Organiser. Looking on is Portaferry Lifeboat
Station's Honorary Secretary, Billy Brown
Rowing races for ladies
and RNLI lifeboat crews were introduced a short
time later.
By 1985 there were 4
trophies;
The 'Routen Wheel'
- men's rowing race
The 'Golden Rowlocks'
- ladies rowing race
The 'Lifeboat Bell'
- RNLI crew rowing race
The 'Lifeboat Shield'
- sailing club team raising the most monies for the
RNLI
Note
- Owing to the growing difficulty in obtaining sufficient
numbers of traditional rowing boats the rowing races
were abandoned in 2001 and the 'Routen Wheel' became
a mainly sailing event. The
last 'Routen Wheel' event took place in August 2003
Back to top

19 December 1982 - The Jane's Rock
Rescue
On the early evening of 19 December
1982 reports were received that the yacht, Frieda,
with two yachtsmen on board, had not arrived at Ringhaddy
having left Killyleagh earlier in the day.
Belfast Coastguard requested the
Portaferry Lifeboat to launch in a search for the
missing yacht.
The Portaferry Lifeboat was launched
at 18:55 with Chief Helmsman, Desmond (Dessie)
Rogers at the helm and Helmsman, Francis (Frank)
Rogers and William (Billy) Ellison as crew. They
proceeded in gale force winds towards the west side
of Strangford Lough and began a search in the dark
between Holm Bay and Island Taggart.
The yacht was eventually sighted
by searchlight, hard aground on Jane's Rock, adjacent
to the Long Sheelagh. Unable to land at
that position, the lifeboat made its way to the northern
end of Jane's Rock where Helmsman Francis Rogers was
able to get ashore. With the aid of illumination
from a SAR helicopter's searchlight he was able to
get to the yacht and found that one male survivor
was on board.
The survivor reported that his fellow
crew member was missing. The missing crew member
had been in their 14ft tender working with the anchor
when it was swept away in a north-westerly direction.
With the male survivor on board the
lifeboat proceeded slowly towards Kircubbin Bay through
the Bird Island Passage. White flares were used
to illuminate the narrow channel. Winds had
now increased to storm force and as shelter from the
southerly wind was gradually lost high seas were experienced,
at times almost swamping the lifeboat.
On reaching Kircubbin Bay the lifeboat
stood off until shore help arrived shortly afterwards
and the male survivor was then landed to safety ashore
at Kircubbin at 21:45.

Portaferry's 'D' Class in 1982 - Zodiac
Mk 4 with twin 40 HP Mariner outboards
At daylight, in strong to gale force
winds, the search was resumed for the missing crew
member.
Later that morning the missing yachtsman
was found on an island by a coastguard auxiliary.
Fortunately, he had been driven ashore in the
yacht's tender and had taken shelter under it during
the night.
Having been released from service
the lifeboat had a difficult passage back to Portaferry
in stormy conditions.
For their rescue, Chief Helmsman,
Desmond Rogers was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal;
and Helmsman, Francis Rogers & William Ellison,
the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum.
The presentation of the RNLI Bronze
Medal to Desmond Rogers was made by Her Majesty, The
Queen Mother, on 15 May 1984. (See
photo above)

Portaferry
Lifeboat Guild in 1981

Sir John Andrews, 1st President
of Portaferry Lifeboat Station, with Guild members
in 1981

The Crew - May 1980

1980 - Portaferry Lifeboat crew & station
officials with the Mayor of Ards Borough Council

1979
THE BEGINNING
Dr W (Billy) Brown (centre)
and Desmond (Dessie) Rogers (right)
with RNLI offcials

FOR A HISTORY OF
THE
Ballywalter and
Cloughey lifeboats
PLEASE CLICK HERE