Name St Andrew

Built by William Osborne in 1952 as ON 897 (Civil Service No. 10), ST ANDREW was the last Watson 41 to be built and was the forerunner of the Watson 42, introduced in 1954. The 41 ft Watson non-self-righting motor lifeboat was designed for stations which required a larger and more powerful boat but which could not accommodate the larger Watson types through boathouse or slipway constraints. 13 were built between 1933 and 1952. The earlier Watson 41s had a forward shelter and an aft cockpit, both being constructed in mahogany. The last four 41s to be built, however, were built with one cockpit aft containing the wheel, engine controls, shelter for eight crew and access to the engine room. These later cockpits were constructed in aluminium. A hatch forward led to the survivors’ cabin. 

ST ANDREW was stationed at Whitehills, Aberdeenshire, from March 1952 to December 1959, where she became a reserve until 1961 where she was stationed in Girvan on the Firth of Clyde until 1968. She was then moved to Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland, until 1973 and finally sold out of service in 1982. In total during her service she was launched 81 times and 21 lives.

She is now (2025) based in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. 

Update, June 2025: Vessel for sale.