A former RNLI Clyde class lifeboat (70' long) for sale

Bajansailor

Bajansailor

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I receive occasional emails from a Scandinavian ship broker with interesting commercial (or former commercial) vessels for sale. And this evening I found an email with this link.

https://www.shipsforsale.com/en/ships-en/shipid/1043/raddningskryssare_3_gemini-explorer/

She was formerly called 'City of Bristol' when she was with the RNLI, and she is the third of three Clyde class vessels that were built. Her home port was Clovelly.
Lots of good background info about her and her sister ships here -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde-class_lifeboat

For all Gardner fans, she has a pair of 8L3B engines, each developing 230 hp at 1,150 rpm.
They were installed in 1974, and have approx 12,000 hours on them so far, so just about run in..... :)
The engine room is very clean and tidy - not much in the way of bilge photos, but I would hope that they are also in pretty good condition.

No connection whatsoever - I just have a soft spot for these vessels. I spent some time working in the RNLI design office 30 years ago, and the father of one of my colleagues (who is still there) was a former coxswain of this vessel.
 
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Impressive stuff indeed.
The displacement hull seems better suited to cruising rather than rescue, btw.
Makes one wonder what the RNLI design briefing was... :confused:
As a cruising machine, the engines hours would be the last of my concerns.
The 740 liters waste oil tank, on the other hand... :rolleyes:
 
A fine ship alright!

Interesting that they switched designers from Richard Oakley to John Tyrell for the second boat and they back to Oakley for this boat. I know nothing of Oakley but John Tyrell boats have a huge reputation for commercial and long range pleasure craft, power and sail.
 
Bajansailor said:
I receive occasional emails from a Scandinavian ship broker with interesting commercial (or former commercial) vessels for sale. And this evening I found an email with this link.

https://www.shipsforsale.com/en/ships-en/shipid/1043/raddningskryssare_3_gemini-explorer/

She was formerly called 'City of Bristol' when she was with the RNLI, and she is the third of three Clyde class vessels that were built. Her home port was Clovelly.
Lots of good background info about her and her sister ships here -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde-class_lifeboat

For all Gardner fans, she has a pair of 8L3B engines, each developing 230 hp at 1,150 rpm.
They were installed in 1974, and have approx 12,000 hours on them so far, so just about run in..... :)
The engine room is very clean and tidy - not much in the way of bilge photos, but I would hope that they are also in pretty good condition.

No connection whatsoever - I just have a soft spot for these vessels. I spent some time working in the RNLI design office 30 years ago, and the father of one of my colleagues (who is still there) was a former coxswain of this vessel.
Click to expand...
The engines are worth the asking price alone the vessel is free
 
I've always wanted an ex-lifeboat ever since going down the St.Mary's, Scillies, lifeboat slip standing on the back deck of the Guy & Clare Hunter, cox Boy Matt Lethbridge. Very exciting for a teenager! This one looks good in the photographs but a bit scruffy in the video!
 
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MapisM said:
Impressive stuff indeed.
The displacement hull seems better suited to cruising rather than rescue, btw.
Makes one wonder what the RNLI design briefing was... :confused:
As a cruising machine, the engines hours would be the last of my concerns.
The 740 liters waste oil tank, on the other hand... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The design brief was exactly that, ie for a 'cruising' lifeboat that patrols the coast.
This one (#003) patrolled the North Cornwall coast and the Bristol Channel; One of the others was a relief vessel, and one was based in Kirkwall, far up north in the Orkney islands north of Scotland.
They are an excellent design for heavy weather patrolling for sure.
 
interesting vessel

would like to see how it ends up being (converted and) used!
if someone wants to really turn it into a pleasure vessel, they need to rip off everything fitted (all interior is really hideous...) and start afresh.
that's going to be a looong process, good retirement project though (especially if it was 10ft shorter and a couple of dozen tons lighter :D

cheers

V.
 
vas said:
interesting vessel

would like to see how it ends up being (converted and) used!
if someone wants to really turn it into a pleasure vessel, they need to rip off everything fitted (all interior is really hideous...) and start afresh.
that's going to be a looong process, good retirement project though (especially if it was 10ft shorter and a couple of dozen tons lighter :D

cheers

V.
Click to expand...

If anyone can do it Vas.....

I feel a Mitos II coming on..
 
Bajansailor said:
The design brief was exactly that, ie for a 'cruising' lifeboat that patrols the coast.
Click to expand...

Modelled on the German lifesaving practice, I understand. But didn't really fit with how the RNLI works, so while the two boats were in service for a while, I don't believe they actually operated in "cruising" mode for very long before reverting to normal call-out practice which they weren't particularly well-designed for.

Pete
 
Bajansailor said:
The design brief was exactly that, ie for a 'cruising' lifeboat that patrols the coast.
This one (#003) patrolled the North Cornwall coast and the Bristol Channel; One of the others was a relief vessel, and one was based in Kirkwall, far up north in the Orkney islands north of Scotland.
They are an excellent design for heavy weather patrolling for sure.
Click to expand...

I was wondering why so many berths for a rescue vessel, but see why now. Thanks for the link M, the old girl has been kept in good condition where it counts.
 
The asking price is already a steal - a tiny % of what her new build cost would be now.
And as Old Harry noted, this probably covers the Gardners alone, so you get the rest for free.
What is not to like...… :)
I can see why Ben and James are lusting after her - I am sure that most of us have idle fantasies about boats like this, and then force ourselves to return to earth with a bump and dream about Faireys, Nelsons and Mitchells (oh, and Fairlines, Princesses and Sunseekers as well as the indestructible Anderson Itamas) :)
I hope that they do give the Sea Cadets 'first dibs' at her.

Re when she was 'cruising' for the RNLI, my former colleague's Dad (who was her Captain) loved her - I'm pretty sure he was ex Merchant Navy (a rarity then I think in the RNLI - most of the Ops guys tended to be RNR). And he is a Cornishman, so he was never too far from home.
 
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