The RNLI has been accused of spreading “nonsense” about the reasons its Peterhead crew was temporarily stood down.
Charity bosses decided to suspend the service last month due to what it described as long-running personnel disputes among the volunteers.
But now an anonymous letter, apparently from a crew member of the Peterhead lifeboat, denies there were ever any issues between the team members.
And the person said they had now given up volunteering for the service, which they claim has lost a “century’s worth of experience” because of the row.
The letter said: “I cannot stand by any more and be part of the nonsense the RNLI has spread in recent press releases.
“I can categorically say that there has been no infighting between the volunteers.
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“We occasionally have issues like any other family, but I can assure you we are a friendly and professional volunteer team.
“I feel now that I can no longer volunteer for an organisation that does not value or manage its volunteers in a fair manner.”
The letter said the Peterhead crew has been “decimated” with the loss of more than a century of life-saving experience as a result of crew members leaving.
The organisation refuted the claims and said it was working to have the Peterhead lifeboat back “as soon as possible.”
An RNLI spokeswoman said the decision to suspend the service was not taken lightly and was “very much a last resort”.
She said: “We stand by our decision to remove a small number of volunteers due to historical behavioural issues that were deemed to be disruptive to the future running of Peterhead lifeboat.
“We look forward to working with those who wish to remain to create an inclusive volunteering environment and reliable lifeboat service.
“As training progresses throughout July, and as some crew advance through coxswain and mechanic training, we hope to increase the lifeboat’s on-service periods as quickly as possible.
“We thank the Peterhead community for their patience and support for their volunteer crew whilst we follow this process.”
The lifeboat will be brought back into service later this month, after the Buchan team has carried out the training.
It is hoped the service will be fully operational in time for the town’s Scottish Week celebrations which begin on Saturday, July 20.
