Want to buy a lifeboat?

[milltech]

No, not mine. A really nice Watson 47 self-righter circa 1961, twin Gardner 5LW, nice order, known by many people in the Western Solent, licenced for tripper jaunts out of Yarmouth so suitably equipped and on-line.

Basic tea making and sleeping but would need conversion for proper sleep-overs, would suit day launch, or same trippery use like Joseph Soar in Salcombe or The Robert at Eastbourne. (Same class).

Nice to own a little history and a gallant old girl. Unfortunately for me, one is enough.

 

[Alistairr]

Is there a link too it on the web, for us too see it?

 

[milltech]

No! Well I've got a picture of her behind mine in Yarmouth but it's not worth showing, and she doesn't have a web presence. I thought I had some pics of her on file but cannot find them. I'll see what I can come up with.

OK, since posting have done a little edit, not much, but...

 

[Nautical]

Would love to own one again (I owned the David and Elizabeth King & EB ex Longhope Solent class when she came straight out of service). Only problem for me apart from having just ordered another boat for next season is the time factor. Ex Lifeboats take an ocean of time and effort to keep them up to scratch, the engine room alone took a day to polish (miles of brass and copper) and you needed to do that every two weeks). Other down side is they are very rolly polly boats due to the enormous weight of the iron keel swinging back and forth in any kind of swell also a b--tard down the weather and as for close quarter work a pig. Having said that though an immense boat in foul weather just batten down the hatches and keep those Gardners churning and she will take you through a hurricane without batting an eyelid. It was one of the joys of our Solent you could go out in absolutely anything all year so we got more use out of ours than 90% of other boaters. Marvellous feeling coming back into harbour from a gale 8 or more knowing everyone else was jealous knowing they were stuck in harbour.

The other great thing was the attnetion you got everywhere, I swear if a Riva was parked up next to us no one would bother even looking at it, everyone wanted to talk to us and have a look around.

Anyone wants one really has to be committed though or they get tatty within a couple of seasons. Still a huge amount of boat and engineering for the money.

 

[Lakesailor]

Trouble is: If you get into trouble when you have a lifeboat "Who you gonna call?"

 

[Nautical]

Time to put your head between your legs and you know what! you've had it mate.

 

[BrendanS]

Seastart of course! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[milltech]

I take a different view about the rolling, I stay in port. Don't mind the weather on the bow or the stern. Also, I don't polish my engine room, just the binnacle. Purists may pout and scorn but I'm not a lifeboat mechanic with time on my hands and its not a safety issue. I shall, no doubt, be taken to task about it when Baltic Air returns to Salcombe in June for the festival!

You're right about the attention, wherever you go, and if the harbour staff also run the lifeboat berthing charges can get overlooked too if lucky. Close quarters work? No problem, spend £3000 on a bow thruster, it's the best three grand a lifeboat owner can spend. Makes berthing astern a neat and preferable option, and a doddle single handed to boot.

Great boats to own and a lot of boat for the cash. Go on, tell yourself you must have!

 

[Forbsie]

How much is it, John?

 

[milltech]

Not sure actually, probably asking a shade under £30k, it's what I'd expect to see, but I think she's worth £25k of anyones money. They never make big bucks because of the layout, I paid a lot more for mine but she's had the full internal conversion treatment, (although not a self righter).

I forgot to add that I have the owners phone for anyone so inclined.

 

[Nautical]

Would love to but really can't justify the time, I am one of those people who just can not help but have a polishing cloth in my hand also my new boat really suits our purposes better, loads of accomodation for guests, 30 knot cruise, showers, proper beds all the mod cons. SWMBO would kill me if I rocked up in another lifeboat.

Down the weather maybe Watson's were better but the Solent was hard to keep on track probably because of the small rudders in the tunnels very little surface area for such a large boat. I believe some were modified with bigger ones because some coxswains complained, ours was'nt modified so alot of wheel twirling in bad weather. Still have a soft spot for her though some very happy times were had. Often wonder she ended up we sold her to some guy who took her to St Catherines Dock in London, used to be called Island Lass wonder if anyone knows where she is now.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

When are you going to invite us down for a trip out on your boat John, it is so mean of you keeping her to yourself this long!

I fancy an only fools and horses type trip to Holland following a ferry! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Edit>> Acshully, probably best not read the uninvited guest thread before inviting me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[milltech]

I heard of a Solent with twin rudders and assumed it was a post RNLI mod to try and improve close handling, I hadn't realised they were made that way. Watsons have a single big paddle hanging out the back end which does create handling problems without a bow thruster, but is probably better in a seaway.

By the way, crewing opportunities exist aboard Baltic Air for anyone with a love of brass and copper polishing!!

This is the RNLB Pentland recently sold, was this her? Don't know her leisure name, and oh yes, I can see a little rudder just proud of the tunnel.

 

[milltech]

[ QUOTE ]
Edit>> Acshully, probably best not read the uninvited guest thread before inviting me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

So long as someone's aboard who knows what they're doing who's to complain, not I! Anyway you woke up, and why or who made you doesn't matter.

I do think, less jocularly, that we do have some inbuilt alarm that works if we are awake or asleep.

I only do day trips as a generality since on all other occasions I travel by the weather forecast not the calender, and that's been proved not to be a good omen for organising get togethers.

I am looking for a crew for Salcombe early June. Leaving the boat there for a few days. Travel if the weather looks good. I expected to do it on my own but..