Following the premature death of our chairman Paul Evans on Friday 26th September, BIG have made a donation to the RNLI, a charity close to Paul’s heart. Paul was a highly valued member of the group for many years and latterly a very successful chairman. He will be missed as a treasured colleague, model professional and great friend to all who were lucky enough to know him. It is fitting that he should be remembered in this way.
Here’s a copy of the email sent as a response to BIG’s donation.
‘You can rest assured that your lifeboat is in the best hands’
Hello Ian,
I’m Thomas and I’m honoured to be working on the build of your Launch a Memory lifeboat.
Before joining the RNLI as a technician boat builder 5 years ago, I worked on boat refits and repairs. But I think I speak for all of us here at the RNLI’s All-weather Lifeboat Centre in Poole when I say that nothing compares to the satisfaction, sense of purpose and pride of building and maintaining the charity’s all-weather lifeboat fleet.
Like all our volunteer lifeboat crews, Anstruther will rely on the quality, safety and durability of their new Shannon class lifeboat to bring those they rescue – and each other – home safe for years to come. Knowing that we, including you and your loved one, are playing a crucial part in the RNLI’s mission to save every one is a great feeling.
And knowing how loved and treasured this lifeboat already is to you, and to so many others in the RNLI’s Launch a Memory family, makes its build all the more special.
The team here at the All-weather Lifeboat Centre has a friendly and collaborative spirit. Just like RNLI lifeboat crews, we have a deep trust in each other. Between us, we have a vast amount of boatbuilding knowledge and experience which we readily share so that, together, as one crew, we can build the best lifeboats. And you can rest assured that your lifeboat is in the best hands.
Headshot of RNLI Technician boatbuildiner, Thomas Tindall
Credit: Alison Read
Your lifeboat’s progress
There are two buildings at the All-weather Lifeboat Centre – Building A and Building B – each equipped for the six different stages of building a Shannon. Each 12-week long build stage involves different members of the boatbuilding team. For the last 3 years, I’ve been working in Building A on stage 3 of the build, which your lifeboat has almost completed.
Just to recap, stage 1 involved creating the Shannon’s wheelhouse and hull in separate moulds.
In stage 2, all the bulkheads, transverse frames, engine girders and fuel tanks were bonded into place in the hull using a resin glue. The joints were then over bonded with glass fibre tape for added strength.
During stage 3, we trimmed all the wheelhouse openings to size before fitting the larger items, partitions, helm and navigation consoles, and other wheelhouse furniture. We also added the holes to the wheelhouse in preparation for it to be fixed to the hull in stage 6 – the final stage.
The mould of a Shannon wheelhouse at the RNLI All-weather Lifeboat Centre. Photo: RNLI/Thomas Tindall
‘Precise and time-consuming work’
Much of stage 3 focuses on the small, intricate stuff. For example, each fixture on the Shannon, from cup holders to engines, must have mounting holes drilled or a pad fitted. The pads are small composite plates fitted with threaded inserts that are positioned with the aid of drawings and jigs, before being bonded onto the lifeboat structure using a resin glue. Unlike other boats, the workings on a lifeboat aren’t hidden from view so they need to be neat. This really is precise and time-consuming work.
One of the most technically challenging jobs in stage 3 is the installation of the capsize flaps in the wheelhouse. This is achieved through a clever use of weights and gears. These flaps fit inside the engine intakes and seal the boat off in the event of a capsize.
During this stage, the hull is lowered into the stainless steel keel shoe that stretches the full length of the boat. It’s secured in place with glue paste and steel pins.
One of the biggest jobs in stage 3 is placing the hull and the wheelhouse together for the first time, temporarily, using the wheelhouse as a mould to add all the flanges to the top of the bulkheads. This allows the hull and wheelhouse to be bonded together in the final stage.
And one of the more notable tasks is the installation of the Hamilton waterjet units and the subsequent engine alignment. The engine mounting pads must be perfectly aligned with the waterjet units.
Separate moulds of a Shannon wheelhouse and hull at the RNLI All-weather Lifeboat Centre. Photo: RNLI/Thomas Tindall
‘The most humbling part of our job’
Soon, your lifeboat will move into Building B for the final 3 stages of its build. These stages involve painting, fitting the engines, electrical terminations, and finally fixing the wheelhouse and hull together. After which, it will be ready to test the water. But not before the most humbling part of our job, and that is applying the decals containing your loved one’s name, and the names of all those remembered on this special Launch a Memory lifeboat.
I hope you find this update interesting and informative. The technical detail isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I think you’ll agree the technology and innovation that goes into building a Shannon class lifeboat is fascinating. We really do put our heart and soul into it too, just as you have by choosing to remember your loved one in such a unique way. Thank you.
Look out for your next Launch a Memory update email in December. But remember, you can check the progress of your Launch a Memory lifeboat at any time on the Anstruther updates page on RNLI.org, albeit in not so much technical detail!
With warm regards,
Thomas Tindall
Technician Boatbuilder, RNLI All-weather Lifeboat Centre