RNLI, seems expensive....

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LORDNELSON

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Like most of us I pay my offshore subscription to the RNLI and am very happy to do so given what a good service it is and what brave men man the service, however, in the "New Civil Engineer" dated 23 February 2006 there is a picture of Padstow's new lifeboat station built to house a new Tamar class lifeboat. Cost of the new lifeboat station is quoted as £5.5 million. Seems a lot even though the Tamar class boat is larger than most. There was some discussion on this forum about the RNLI finances a month or two ago and one has to wonder if, even in these expensive days, a life boat station which costs about 2.5 times the cost of the lifeboat it contains, can be justified; maybe some one has the reasons?
 
Friend of mine painted a station, employed his mate, charged £8000, made a handsome profit. Next time, a contractor was brought in, who charged just under £30,000.
 
I won't comment on the cost, but it is going to be built as a slipway launch boat-house, and has to be able to recover the boat - and Trevose Head isn't the calmest of places on the Cornish north coast.

Yes, it is a lot of money, but go and have a look at where the present boat-house is. Not an easy build.

Views of the build

Not too bad in todays view. Padstow LB webcam

Today at Fistral Beach - south of Padstow
 
I dont think all the stations will be rebuilt, for the tamar, that was one of the build criteria for the boats and Padstow needed re-building anyway. It is a very difficult location.
 
Yes, but look at the old lifeboat house next to it; a much cheaper form of construction that has been there a long time! Point is the RNLI seem to have been saying the future is financially difficult and I can believe it if they are going in for top of the range design.
 
Considering the vast majority of boats spend their entire lives outdoors why does it need a house at all? A flat area at the top of the slipway with a small cabin for the crews oilskins etc.

or have I missed something?
 
Your missing a lot ...

UV, dirt, bird poo & all the time to clean it up ... and you can't clean up UV damage ...
 
Maybe "jumping a few waves"is part of training for a rib
I have seen an Atlantic RNLI rib nearly vertical, so i
imagine wave jumping is indeed part of their training.
Re that £50 odd quid that you don't really need, please
send to the distressed Northshore Ranger owner, whose
fuel tanks are looking ominously empty.
Yours in anticipation Tony
 
Everything has to be 'designer built' these days..Laminated wooden beams and a design that may/ not generate 'lift!/be streamlined against its exposed windy location..I dunno,can't help wondering what probs in 10-15years time..
 
Makes you wonder how they decide to give the jobs to
They obviously get "taken for a ride", like a lot of
charities. Maybe a Tender system could work better??
 
Unfortunately many building projects are a demonstration of success for ego over function.

The RNLI have a history of listed boathouses many I suspect for their location rather than just architecture.

Given a brief design, build and maintain a building to house x type lifeboat and suitable launching ramp what do you think the bottom line would be? Cheapest would probably be in steelwork but with ongoing maintenance and the uglest a reinforced concrete structure with good cover to the reinforcement.

Glued timber beams don't have a great history in damp places wasn't one of the ice ring colapses this year due to the failure of glued timber beams.

You pays your money and the RNLI take the choice!! Can't be simple though to try to please everyone.
 
Re: RNLI, seems expensive....

unknown poster ( no bio) /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
this is a free country & we are able to say wot we like. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
the RNLI is a profligate & expansionist organisation Just as the building societies used to be some yrs ago /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

they now save lives rather than render assistance as they understatedly used to do /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif


PS i am a Life Governor of some 30 yrs standing /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
wot r u /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Re: RNLI, seems expensive....

[ QUOTE ]
don't knock them you may need them someday.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont think anyone is criticizing the Coxwains or volunteer crews.certainly not me anyway,but when I see a pensioner putting money in the lifeboat then hear of that hard earned money not being used wisely I think Im justified in questioning the thinking behind it.
 
Re: RNLI, seems expensive....

I think you are right. No one in their right mind is going to criticise the crews.

I am a lifeboat supporter and always will be but I agree with the comments about a pensioner's contribution and them expecting it to save lives, not finance fanciful architecture.

I have heard it said that the RNLI is the wealthiest charity in the UK. This should not be regarded as a licence to waste money. It could pretty soon backfire on them. After all there are lots of calls on charitable money nowadays.

Perhaps someone on the forum knows one of the high-ups in the RNLI who might like to respond to these legitimate concerns?

Regards,

Shantyman.
 
Re: RNLI, seems expensive....

I spent 15 years as crew and 2nd coxswain.......the waste at times would make you turn in your grave...........yes I now feel really sorry for the old lady in the street rattling the tin to earn a few pennies........as for masive expense on new boat houses...!!!! Dont get me started!!!!!

Paul.
 
Re: RNLI, seems expensive....

Well, on the cost of marine construction: Just think what that construction platform costs to hire, what the undersea and under sea-bed structure costs to build, what the concrete platform and all its beams, etc cost, and the price of the shed looks like peanuts.

Designer form and shape are not necessarily more expensive than ugly cubic concrete blockhouse construction.

As designed, the wooden beams are probably very much lighter than the equivalent in concrete, the cladding is also lighter, requiring smaller beams, etc etc. Thus the under structure is lighter than it would be if the upper works were in concrete or steel. Look at it another way: For a given boat weight, the overall covering and floor-just-below-the-boat weight should be minimised -- then the underlying support structure will be minimised.

The structure looks to me to be well designed, with a good eye for overall cost, whatever the fancy shape and designer look may indicate to the contrary. Yearly maintenance costs should also be considered. Steel in a salt environment is notoriously difficult to maintain.

Don't confuse good looking with expensive.

Maybe some real structures engineer could weigh in to this thread and give us some real giz on the subject ???
 
Re: RNLI, seems expensive....

I think Sailorman, Shantyman & Starboard know what they are talking about; I'm an Offshore member because I am potential customer, but it seems that the RNLI feels obliged to keep expenditure in line with their great income.
 
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