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Ship Wrecks
The Stonehaven lifeboat, St. George was launched in 1868.It went to the help of the Grace Darling of Blyth,which flew distress signals as she drifted north.It was at this point,that the men on the lifeboat were able to discern her name. She bore away to the north and as now she showed no distress signals, the lifeboat then made for the Aberdeen Harbour.The lifeboat was struck by a heavy sea, between the north pier and the breakwater, and capsized.Six of the crew remained on board, when she sunk. James Leiper (Coxswain), John Brown (Assistant Coxswain) were clinging to her, but the men aboard could not reach them and they were washed away. James Brown managed to get aboard but Main, Lees and William Scott were never seen again.With four oars left and the rudder torn, the men were unable to pull the boat into the Harbour.Later they were driven onto the rocks north of the pier and managed to scramble ashore.William Scott and James Lees were discovered by the Aberdeen lifeboat but Lees later died.Four men were lost that day.
In Cowie Churchyard, at the south west corner of the church,is the lifeboat stone in memory of these gallant men.
A new lifeboat called the Star, was sent to replace the lost lifeboat on March 30th 1874.
Another lifeboat named the Alexander Black was launched by Miss Baird of Ury on March 7th 1888. It was the gift of Mrs. Alexander Black in memory of her husband.
On October 11th 1863, the Wilhelmina Habb, 152 tons from Townsberg was on her way to Montrose laden with food. She was driven off course and ran ashore on the rocks south of Cowie. The men were rescued by Manby's apparatus, which is used for life saving and was supplied to the coastguards at a instigation of General A. Arbuthnott M.P.
On January 24th 1879, the boat named the Expert, was in a collission with the the steamer, named Countess of Durham and split into two.The crew consisted of two brothers George Main and Robert Main, who was a young man of only 23.Also Alex Christie (Soorock), who was able to save George Main by throwing him a buoy.The other two were lost at sea.The accident happened near Dunnottar Castle.A white gravestone recording this accident is located on the east side of Dunnottar Church.
On February 10th 1891 the liners named Bravo and the Scarborough and the Northern Belle collided at sea.The Northern Belle ran aground at Whistleberry near Kinneff, after she had passed through a fleet of fishing boats.The fishermen saw no one aboard her.Lieutenant Barnard examined her and found no trace of any sort of collision. Michael Holmes who was the coastguard at Catterline said no one from the fishing or farming community would go near her.She later went to pieces on the rocks.The local people regarded her as a phantom ship like the Marie Celeste.
Stonehaven Fishing Story
In 1811, a terrific storm blew up.Some of the boats were driven onto the beach, while huge rollers rushed past the pier and into the harbour.The pilots usually sheltered behind the crook of the pier but in this case had to take refuge behind the Tolbooth.Some men went to a near-by inn to pass the time, while drinking and chatting.Suddenly there was a mighty thud as a huge wave crashed through the window.When the men recovered from the shock they found the bowsprit of Rob Stephen's boat halfway across the room.
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