Irvine’s first lifeboat was obtained in 1833. The first official R.N.L.I. Lifeboat, named the ‘Pringle Kidd’, was gifted to the town by Miss Kidd of Lasswade. It served Irvine from 1861-1874 under Coxswain David Sinclair. At the end of its service the lifeboat was cut in two and presented to Provost Paterson and Senior Baillie Orr, before being converted into two summer houses. It was replaced by the “Isabella Frew” in 1874 and the “Busbie” in 1887.
The Lifeboat shed was built in 1874. Both it and the Isabella Frew were gifted to Irvine by William Sommerville of Gloucestershire whose father-in-law came from Irvine. William Sommerville was made a Freeman of the Burgh of Irvine.
On 29 December 1894 during a fierce winter storm, the Norwegian barque S.S. Frey of Tonberg was wrecked midway between the Lady Isle and the coast of Troon. The Troon lifeboat launched but was defeated by the hurricane force winds, not getting beyond the lighthouse. An emergency telegram was sent for the Irvine Lifeboat to go to their assistance.
The ‘Busbie’, piloted by Coxswain David Sinclair, was launched into the mouth of the river at Irvine and the 13-man crew set off towards Lady Isle, and despite the tumultuous seas they managed to rescue all 17 crew members of the ‘S.S. Frey’. Now overloaded with 30 people, David Sinclair made for South Beach, Troon. 500 yards from the beach, the lifeboat was hit by a tremendous wave, causing several of the men to be swept overboard. All but one of the men were rescued. No trace could be found of the young steward of the Norwegian boat.
The R.N.L.I paid tribute to their heroism on 25 April 1895 and the Coxswain David Sinclair was presented with a gold medal from the Norwegian Government in a ceremony at the Irvine Townhouse. On the reverse of his medal was a representation of the head of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway with the inscription “For Adel Daad” (For Noble Deed). Replica medals in silver were presented to each member of the crew, ten of whom were Sinclairs or close relations.
The boat and its crew were paraded through Irvine town. The “Busbie” was replaced by the “Jane Anne” in 1898. The Lifeboat Station closed in 1914. David Sinclair (b. 09/11/1823) retired in 1898 at the age of seventy-five and died in Irvine in 1913 aged 89.