Ollie the engine send- off
The man who has kept Troon lifeboats running smoothly for the past 17 years has passed down his spanners.
Andrew “Ollie” Alston was treated to a slap- up meal at Highgrove House Hotel as part of the send off.
He has handed over his tools to Evan Gallacher.
Ollie said: “I will miss the call- outs and the crew at Troon, but I am going to enjoy the freedom of not having to carry a pager about 24/ 7.”
He became full- time mechanic in 2003 after joining as a volunteer in 2001.
As full time station mechanic, Andrew’s daily job was to ensure that the station’s all- weather lifeboat and her life- saving equipment were ready to answer the next emergency call.
At sea, while keeping an eye on the engines, Andrew was also the lifeboats radio operator and responsible for all communications.
During the summer a rescue stuck out for him, saying: “Two young girls were rescued from a drifting dinghy sticks in my mind.
“As the lifeboat manoeuvred alongside the dinghy, the girls who had been panicking and were scared, began to smile with relief that we had arrived to help them. It just signified to me why I joined the RNLI.”