MRI Stonehaven closing down

[martini]

Storm-hit Maritime Rescue Institute in Stonehaven set to close | Aberdeen & North | News | STV

Crazy that a world renowned asset like this can be allowed to disappear down the plug hole with all that knowledge and experience along with it.

[Alex MRI]

It's good to see a post supporting us here at MRI. It has been a rough few months and we are saddened that it has come down to a point where the doors are closing.

[future_sailor]

What will be happening to the boats, mainly MRI 40?

[Al Baker]

Really sorry to see that.
I partook in several trainings there.
It was a second to none place that's for sure.
Thanks for posting the link.

[RIB-Teccie]

Worked there for 9 Years, including my apprenticeship, very sad, given that every storm where someone was in trouble MRI was there free of charge. This included Suicides, boat breakdowns, & cliff falls. Not to mention all the training given which helped at Piper Alpha, Brent Spar Helicopter Ditching, British Trent and all of KNRM. Also the training given to Greenpeace which prevented the Spar being dimped in the sea. The boat handling at times was fearless and some of the craft should not have been out in those seas, the boats were pushed to the limit & beyond. Yet when the storm hit MRI, no one bothered to save them. In fact not so sad as an absolute F@@&&&&, disgrace for a wealthy part of the world, to abandon this internationally renowned organisation.

[Al Baker]

Originally Posted by RIB-Teccie

Also the training given to Greenpeace which prevented the Spar being dimped in the sea.

We never actually had any Brent Spar specific boat training. Spar was just another direct action at sea. We did however train there a fair bit over the years. Training alongside Thames police, oil industry guys, special forces, customs and excise and lifeboat men. We all trained there together.

The current Greenpeace Global standard rib training is based on a lot of the MRI teaching methods and exercises. We were fortunate enough to have the Honorable Mr Robbie Carr from MRI spend a good deal of time working on that program with us.

[two stroke mick]

I thought that MRI was a training school only, did it also provide an unofficial rescue service?

[Al Baker]

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

I thought that MRI was a training school only, did it also provide an unofficial rescue service?

It did indeed. Not sure it was unofficial though.

[RIB-Teccie]

It was a declared SAR station. Everyone who went out was on a voluntary basis, this included the staff & locals. The base effectively ended the RNLI D Class which was there until 1979??. The most memorable rescue was the towing of the Elegance fishing boat in 1984. Without the P36, which was being refitted. The Arctic 24 with twin 85yams, towed the boat in horrendous conditions about 20 miles. The helicopter winch man broke his ankle at Stonehaven Harbour. The A24 was a P24 converted in 1978 and is the same craft as today's MRI 24. The P36 was a new build prototype which was converted to p drive from stern drive in mid to late 84. The building that stands today was opened in 1984. The Old portacabin facility operating from 1977/8 was washed away in storm as they were moving in. Ironically it was a storm which ultimately closed down the organisation as its known today.

[RIB-Teccie]

Forgetting my history.

Stonehaven was originally RGIT (Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology) it partnered the Offshore Survival Centre in Aberdeen's two facilities at King Street and at N Esplanade E. it was Government funded. Because of a certain amount of autonomy, the Aberdeen establishments were not so keen on Stonehaven and in 1987 when RGIT privatised under Thatcher's reforms, Stonehaven went it separate path and became MRI. The problem was always the facility as the overhead was huge compared to the turnover as other companies such as Maritime Rescue Services (set up by 3 RGIT Instructors in 1985 were keen to undercut MRI by offering on site training on the Standby Boats. MRI was dealt a blow when the clients started to demand poorer quality one stop shop type training, where you could jump in a pool on day one, totally encoded craft on day 2 and FRC on day 3 etc. In my work now I still see a glaring need for highly competent boat handlers, and although much improved, there are still some yahoo's out there who damage craft unnecessarily. MRI became a charity with the slightly different institute tag, but lack of funding and the damage to the newly bought training craft killed it. In my own opinion, MRI's craft & ideas were cutting edge at the time, with BFT fenders, casualty nets and early shock mitigation seating. This was cashed in on by others and what was cutting edge became yesterday's news. There was no money to invest in developing things taken for granted now. Apologies for hogging the thread, but whatever happens a need for a world class facility still exists in the NE of Scotland. Preferably in Stonehaven.

[two stroke mick]

rib teeci

interesting history thanks for the lesson

TSM

[Al Baker]

Originally Posted by RIB-Teccie

Forgetting my history.

Wow, you certainly know your MRI history.
Didn't RGIT get bought by Petrofac in order to lower the quality bar and pass all their offshore guys?

[RIB-Teccie]

RGIT, became RGIT Survival Centre Ltd eventually bought by Montrose Fire & Safety. Becoming RGIT Montrose, Then Petrofac. MRI fold the training side directly to RGIT Montrose. The problem at MRI was all the eggs were in the Standby Basket and in those days, some/many Standby Boats were grim indeed. The New Builds came in after Piper Alpha and it was later in the 1990s when the daughter craft concept took off. Lots of the Standby guys resented coming to Stonehaven as it was a week out of their month off and shorter courses became the norm. The Stonehaven facility was too much of a niche and the offshore business was sold. They kept the overseas lifeboat training.

[future_sailor]

Did OMR 24 really surf over the dock gates in Stonehaven after they had been closed for bad weather?

[RIB-Teccie]

As far as I'm aware, the 24 was on a cradle under the crane on the pier.

[future_sailor]

Does anybody know what has become of MRI 42?