Topic: SOLENT CLASS LIFEBOAT (Read 15493 times)

Number 6 · « **on:** December 25, 2010, 07:04:23 pm »

Hi there all, hope everyone's had a good Christmas Day. I've recently bought a 99% refurbished 1/12 Solent Class lifeboat off a friend and am after some information on them. Does anyone know if they underwent a refit during their service lives as I've got photos of them with 2 different type of antenna/rf loop arrays on the wheelhouse roof, also I've noticed some are all white below the waterline and some are red. I think I've got an earlier type/version of lifeboat though it's red below the waterline. Hope someone can point me in the right direction. Thanks, Dave.

pugwash · « **Reply #1 on:** December 25, 2010, 07:42:16 pm »

Dave, an educated guess, I would think the white hulled boats were slipway launched and the red hulled boats had a coat
of red anti-fouling as they were keep permenantly in water.
geoff

nhp651 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 25, 2010, 07:55:50 pm »

100% correct there pugwash.
this also explains to some extent the differences in the radar/radio setups.
the slip launched boats tended to have drop down gear to fit into the boathouses, whereas those kept afloat had permenantly fixed arrangements.

triumphjon · « **Reply #3 on:** December 25, 2010, 08:46:49 pm »

as i recall when i built my 1/12th tyne my work mate was building his aerokits solent there were different watertight doors fitted to the cabin too , both of the models we built were from the same lifeboat station , that being from bembridge on the isle of wight , i remember his as 48- ? ? ? while mine was 47-018 , both being slipway launched were glacier white below waterline , oxford blue hull sides , and vw brilliant orange cabins , the deck on mine was painted in rover tempest grey , although i cant remember what the solent was painted in ( they were both sprayed at my flat , in cellulose automotive paint in my kitchen ! )

Number 6 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 26, 2010, 07:52:06 am »

Thanks for the info guys, think I know which way I'm heading now. Just a thought, wonder why the some of the new Tamar's are red below the waterline when they're slipway launched? Think some of them are going to be white, have seen a few kits done white below the waterline? Dave.

wbeedie · « **Reply #5 on:** December 26, 2010, 07:41:33 pm »

Dont know if I picked this up wrong but you mentioned a RF Loop on the roof , this might actually be a Direction Finder antennae and not radio , as used years ago on vessels when DECCA was in its infancy pre gps for young uns like me as it used to be set for shore stations sending a signal which it could then follow if it has been explained properly to me by an older family member (my father)

Number 6 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 26, 2010, 09:39:19 pm »

Quote from: wbeedie on December 26, 2010, 07:41:33 pm

Dont know if I picked this up wrong but you mentioned a RF Loop on the roof , this might actually be a Direction Finder antennae and not radio , as used years ago on vessels when DECCA was in its infancy pre gps for young uns like me as it used to be set for shore stations sending a signal which it could then follow if it has been explained properly to me by an older family member (my father)

Could be right there, I'm not expert on these things by any means. Done some more work on her today. Just wish our lake wasn't frozen over, want to get her on the water. Cheers, Dave.

nhp651 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 26, 2010, 10:21:44 pm »

so the story goes, dave is that they have only just been able to get a "white" paint to stick to the tamar hull, and it isn't the usual glacier white but a creamy colour........don't know how true that is, but i know cromer's boat has had a few hull repaionts already in red and she's slip launched.

wbeedie · « **Reply #8 on:** December 27, 2010, 12:14:47 am »

Thats the loop for DF so they could find their way home or to any port the land stations would send a signal and you would follow it home ,

look about half way along the top of the wheel house ahead of the liferaft and you will see one there

soldier151 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 30, 2010, 02:22:25 am »

Hi No 6,
A Merry Xmas to you - I notice from your photos that you do not have a storage section at the rear of the main cabin, the plans I have for the Solent (Aerokits) has a storage area behind the main cabin. It is quite difficult to get actual photographs of the SOLENT Class and should I find any, will post on this site. Keep your photos coming as they greatly help other members.

Good Luck

Number 6 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2010, 04:09:57 pm »

Thanks for the info, have been struggling to get some good photos of a Solent as used when operated by RNLI. Could have got some good photos of one at Torbay Lifeboat Week earlier this year, along with a pair of Barnetts, Watson and a Liverpool Class BUT due to my bust leg at the time I couldn't get down the marina to them, very frustrating!

Any help would be much appreciated. I'm off to Holyhead, North Wales next month to get some photos of their Severn Class 'Christopher Pearce', so I'll probably be posting them on Mayhem. Cheers, Dave.

Number 6 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2011, 05:42:09 pm »

Numbers put on today, thanks to Barrys Model Lettering for their super speedy service. Just need the lake to thaw out now, Dave.

nhp651 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2011, 07:19:47 pm »

dave, give the owner of this boat a mail.........he might have some photos he could send you.
neil.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260715437586&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

triumphjon · « **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2011, 09:27:34 pm »

that one looks rough ! i think i saw some links on the lifeboat 24/7 site marked solent so maybe some photographs there , or probably somebody who may have some better quality ones that would be able to help ?

sailorboy61 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2011, 10:12:49 pm »

Quote from: wbeedie on December 27, 2010, 12:14:47 am

Thats the loop for DF so they could find their way home or to any port the land stations would send a signal and you would follow it home ,
look about half way along the top of the wheel house ahead of the liferaft and you will see one there

Correct on the 'loop', its part of the direction finding equipment, not just to find your way home, but for position fixing, but as you say, 'ancient' kit.... even more so the single loop which could be turned by hand on the inside to get different position lines. Later versions had two loops at 90 degrees and the black magic of electronics could then work out directions without needing any turning. This used to be a compulsory piece of kit, but has long been superceeded and doesnt feature on modern vessels. The added bonus of the DF when I first went to sea was you could also tune it to the world service when it was a 'world' wide one.

nhp651 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 05, 2011, 10:26:32 pm »

it might be rough, jon, but Daves boat was built by Russ, i believe as the Royal British Legion Jubilee, before Dave changed her operation number to 006.....that's the reason i gave him the link,
neil

Number 6 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 06, 2011, 07:42:38 am »

Quote from: nhp651 on January 05, 2011, 07:19:47 pm

dave, give the owner of this boat a mail.........he might have some photos he could send you.
neil.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260715437586&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I'll drop them a message. Didn't spot that for sale, thanks for the link Neil. Have been struggling to get hold of some decent photos. Am going to add more detail to mine when I get hold of more info. Thanks, Dave.

nhp651 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 06, 2011, 12:45:23 pm »

I think we should tap russ up for a sub and buy it dave....the way he spends money like confetti on his little follies he should be able to afford 30k for a real one, lol

6705russell · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2011, 12:52:46 pm »

Sorry mate, all spent up now

nhp651 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 06, 2011, 01:07:17 pm »

yer awake then, matey.

Number 6 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 06, 2011, 07:58:11 pm »

Quote from: nhp651 on January 06, 2011, 12:45:23 pm

I think we should tap russ up for a sub and buy it dave....the way he spends money like confetti on his little follies he should be able to afford 30k for a real one, lol

Wouldn't mind it, but with the price of fuel think we'd have to fit her with sails! Dave.

triumphjon · « **Reply #21 on:** January 06, 2011, 09:31:27 pm »

but reading the advert its no longer running with its rnli wheelhouse / cabin , its been changed during a refit when out of service ? not sure where you are located ? but i think thee is a solent in private hands in portishead docks , north somerset , my last visit it was out on the hardstanding being repainted !

nhp651 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 06, 2011, 11:21:11 pm »

no john, i think you've mis understood what he has said....the boat is at the moment on the outside as you see it in the pics....he has stripped out the interior ready for cutting the superstructure off her [ pure sacrilege in my mind] and fitting with his new steel superstructure that is ready for fitting like a big jigsaw puzzle and at the moment in pieces somewhere......don't suppose he'll sell it without all that, as he says he paid 15k for the stuff.
there are plenty of similar boats going a lot cheeper so i reckon it'll be waiting a new owner for a while yet.

triumphjon · « **Reply #23 on:** January 07, 2011, 06:02:38 pm »

sorry i misread the post, your right pure sacralige cutting off the cabin , unfortunatly in its current condition and with just the one photo its not got much going for it !

nhp651 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 07, 2011, 07:22:43 pm »

the boat, with seized engines and stripped interior is worth far less than the price minus the steel that he says cost him 15k, as the 3 sisters Solent that was Thurso's boat went a while ago, basically for the price of the two engines......i was offered it for a price not much more than 8k, but my good lady threatened divorce, lol.......so this one isn't worth anywhere near 30 k.

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Author Topic: SOLENT CLASS LIFEBOAT (Read 15493 times)

pugwash

nhp651

triumphjon

wbeedie

nhp651

wbeedie

soldier151

nhp651

triumphjon

sailorboy61

nhp651

nhp651

nhp651

triumphjon

nhp651

triumphjon

nhp651