The Doctors | National Historic Ships

Registration number 1774

Status Registered

adminnhs

Details

Function Service Vessel

Subfunction Lifeboat

Location Donaghadee

Vessel type Lifeboat - Oakley Class

Archive reason More information required

Current use Museum based

Available to hire No

Available for excursions No

Info required Yes

Construction

Builder Osborne, William, Littlehampton

Built in 1965

Rig None

Number of decks 1

Propulsion Motor

Number of engines 1

Boiler type None

Boilermaker None

Dimensions

Breadth: Beam

11.51 feet (3.51m)

Length: Overall

37.00 feet (11.28m)

History

THE DOCTORS is an Oakley twin screw motor lifeboat, built by William Osbourne at Littlehampton in 1960. Her official number was 307849 and her lifeboat number was 983. She served at Anstruther from 1965 and was launched 62 times, saving 21 lives.

HRH The Duchess of Gloucester named the station’s new Oakley class lifeboat on 28 July. The lifeboat was a gift of Dr Nora Allan and named THE DOCTORS in memory of her father and three brothers. Dr Allan’s father and two of her brothers were doctors. The boathouse was adapted for the new Oakley class lifeboat, carriage and tractor.

She was put on display at Buckie Drifter Centre in April 1995 until she was purchased by her current owner. She is completely original and should be out sailing again in 2022.

We are lacking information on this particular vessel. If you have any information on this vessel past or present, please contact us.

Key dates

1965
Oakley class twin screw motor lifeboat
1965-91
In service as Anstruther lifeboat
1991-93
In service as Anstruther relief lifeboat
1993
Sold out of service
1995
On display at the Buckie Drifter Maritime Heritage Centre, Banff, Scotland
1999
Vessel last seen in enclosure outside the Buckie Drifter Maritime Heritage Centre