Liverpool Class

Whilst waiting for the weather to improve so that the sea trials of the Watson can take place I made a start on the second boat for my client. This is to be a Twin Screw Liverpool Class lifeboat, RNLB Friendly Forrester that was based at North Landing on Flamborough Head. It was also a boat I saw launched many times in my childhood when I was on holiday in East Yorkshire. The boat house was at the top of a cliff and the slipway ran all the way down the cliff side to the beach and sea below. A spectacular sight when the tide was out, as the lower the tide the higher up the cliff the boat was launched to ensure it reached the water!

Basis was to be a grp hull moulding supplied to me. Never again!! As the hull was of unknown age and probably been sitting around for quite a while the beam had shrunk inwards and took two days of cursing and 'persuading' to open up to the correct beam. Another reason for me not to use grp hulls without bonded on decks. 

Rant over, on with the build.

Stand was made and the hull wrestled to the correct shape with beam spreaders fitted.


The fore end box bulkhead was made and bonded in place. The keel was also filled with resin to allow the ruffle holes to be drilled through without the fear of leakage.


The stern box bulkhead was also made and bonded into the hull.


Shafts, couplings and motors fitted in place.


Outer shaft supports made and fitted into the tunnels.


The sub deck fitted into the hull at the correct hight.


The positions for the deck planking and side seats marked out with 2mm square ready for infilling with the 2mm pine planks.

An extruded (not expanded!) polystyrene foam block was laminated to make a former for the shelter.


This was roughed out and then sanded to final shape ready to make the shelter base from grp.



A grp shell has been made on the former and this will be over planked later.


The rest of the visible deck planking has been completed. The central section left unplanked will be removed to allow more room to fit the r/c system.


The shelter has been tack glued in place on the removable deck section ready to fit the engine room bulkhead and the internal framing before planking the outside.

tops......is this going to the same person that you made the 46'9" boat from the 47' mouldings.............he's going to have a mighty fine collection of models............lucky sod, lol.

nhp651 wrote:

tops......is this going to the same person that you made the 46'9" boat from the 47' mouldings.............he's going to have a mighty fine collection of models............lucky sod, lol.

Yes, the same client.

He already has an extensive colllection of RNLI lifeboats !

Last few days has seen work done on veneering and varnishing the basic grp shelter moulding. The holes to take the portholes have also been drilled out


The engine room bulkhead has also been made and glued inside the shelter.


The distinctive triple bar portholes have also been made and painted.


The portholes fitted in place on the shelter.


Next on the agenda for the shelter will be the detailing of the inside and fitting the engine controls on the bulkhead. These controls differ a little from the majority as this boat will be one of several that were fitted with Kadenacy diesels and not the standard AE4 petrol engines.

what did you make the port holes from mike........and where did you get them from.

cheers.

nhp651 wrote:

what did you make the port holes from mike........and where did you get them from.

cheers.

The portholes are made frrom metal repair grommets for canvas tarps,  the bars are thin wires superglued in place after cutting to size. The whole thing is then sprayed with primer and then gold paint.

They can be bought at many ironmongers/camping shops or online and in many sizes.


 

Dug out the air case drawings from the files and made blocks to represent the air cases that sit on the deck under the side seats.


Air cases in place and the seat slats fixed in place.


At the bow end on the port side there is a locker that was also built in. The contents will be added later.


At the stern end of the side seats there are two boxes that contained the power supply and equipment for the radio telephony system. This will again be added later.


View of the side seats with the shelter back in place. The fore and aft bulkheads have also been planked.

A sucessful Blackpool show has now been and gone for this year so it's back to the building!

The bilge keels have been laminated and fixed onto the hull.



The position for the fender has also been plotted and its lamination and fitting is next on the agenda.



onwards and upwards!!

Next installment of making sawdust completed!

The support blocks for the fenders have been shaped, cut and fixed onto the hull.


The top layer of the fender has been added and sanded to shape.


The top cover board that fits from about midships to the bow has been cut to shape and added to the fender.


The handrails for the fore deck have also made.


The bow deck has been cut to shape, fitted onto the hull and the positions for the fittings plotted.


Handrails fixed onto the bow deck.


more soon.

Back in the building business after a total PC meltdown last weekend. Recovered all my pics etc onto this nice new super fast computer!

A card template was made for the bow deck breakwater, the pattern cut from ply and fixed in place.


The metal bull ring has been screwed in place onto the stem post.


The forward sampson post has been shaped and fixed to the forward bulkhead. Just need to make the strap that holds the upper part to the fore deck.


The rudder and shaft have also been made ready to fit later.

                                                                         

Next chapter in the build.

The servo for the rudder has been fitted in place along with its linkage and extension cable.


The stern deck has now been fitted and the grab rails added.


The rear quarter posts have now been shaped and fixed in place.


The emergency tiller that is kept on the port side seats has also been made.


A simple jig was made allowing the steering gear to be silver soldered together.


The platform that supports the compass, (working), housing has also been made and soldered in place.


This whole unit can now be painted ready to refit later.

Onward and Upwards !!

Next set of fittings done.

The tabernacle for the mast has been made.


The mast was made from a square section of pine, rounded at the upper end, given a coat of antique pine to look more like Baltic Spruce.


The fittings on the upper end of the mast have been added.


At the lower end the pivot and locking pin have been added.


The structure is now fixed in place on the deck. The mast will be removed and replaced later to allow the rest of the boat to be completed.


The twenty scupper covers have been made.


Scuppers fitted onto the hull. Painting can now be done when the weather warms up a little.

Been busy with family matters for the last couple of weeks hence lack of postings, but still been building and here are the updates.

Managed to paint the lower hull in satin white and the upper hull in grey primer. The fore and aft decks have also been given a coat of white primer.


The air cases have been painted white, the deck given a coat of grey and the rest of the woodwork varnished to match the canopy.


The canopy has had the life preserver mounts added along with the mast crutch and the Friendly Forrester badge.


The hatch to the engine room made and fitted onto the bulkhead.


The controls and gauges have been made and painted.


The storage boxes/seats made.


All fitted in place inside the canopy.


more details soon.

Excellent

The hull has been painted, lower section with satin white and the upper section in Oxford blue. The fender will be painted red in a few days when the blue has hardened off a little more.


The life ring has been made, painted and fixed onto the shelter. The spray screen has also been made and fitted in place.


This screen also hinges down.


View of the boat with the cabin in place.

The areas around the fender have been masked off and the fender painted red.


At the stern the grating over the hatches that cover the prop freeing tubes has been made, painted and fitted in place.


Also at the stern the rudder made earlier has been fixed in place and connected to the steering servo inside the stern air box.

A little further on with the build.

The dunnage battens on the fore deck have been made and fitted.


The battens at the rear that help prevent the helmsman slipping have been made and fitted. These have been made to slide backwards and forwards to act as locks to hold down the shelter. The front of the shelter hooks under the fuel filler covers.


The grab rails have been made and fitted onto the shelter.


The port and starboard rope bins have been made and fitted onto the seats, on the port side the emergency tiller is now in place. The stanchions and chains have also been made and fitted in place.


The boat has also been given its name.........


............and given its station.


The hull grab lines have also been fitted in place.


Few more small details to add then the props and shafts can be re-installed and the radio system fitted.

Just amazing work Mike. I love my Liverpool but it would be a real privilege to whoever gets to own this one.
Mick F

guess who I was talking to on the phone just over a week ago about Liverpool lifeboat kits, lol.