There’s a new man at the helm of a north-east lifeboat station for the first time in 50 years.
The former operations manager for the Fraserburgh station, Victor Sutherland, has handed over his pager after a half century of stalwart service, to local man Hamish Partridge.
His twin brother, Albert Sutherland, who has also volunteered with the RNLI since the 1960s, is stepping down from his post as well.
Albert was coxswain for 15 years while Victor was previously second coxswain.
The family association with the station will continue with Victor Sutherland, jun, and brother David being the current coxswain and second coxswain respectively.
And grandson Declan has also joined the crew as a volunteer.
The station manager is responsible for all operational activities at the facility. Mr Partridge will receive requests directly from the coastguard and make the decision to launch the lifeboat.
The operations chief will consider the nature of the call and sea conditions before alerting the crew.
It is his responsibility to muster the crew and brief them before they go to see, as the prelude to monitoring their activity from the station.
Last night, Mr Partridge said he was honoured to have been invited to replace Mr Sutherland, who has become a familiar face within the organisation.
He added: “I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that come with this role.
“The RNLI are a vital service for the protection of our coastal areas, communities and fishing industry.
“The 50-years-plus service both Victor and Albert have put into the station has to be recognised as a huge achievement and commitment.
“I sincerely hope that I can continue the great work that Victor has done during his time and I look forward to working closely with the dedicated crew of Fraserburgh Lifeboat as well as the RNLI.”
The lifeboat service relies on donations to stay afloat and the Fraserburgh station recently received a £1,000 donation from local man Graham Duthie.
Mr Duthie, whose home overlooks the station in Shore Street, asked for donations in lieu of presents to celebrate his 50th birthday.
