Lifeboat

[Eddy Matthews]

I've eventually decided to start on a new project, now that the major issues I had to deal with at home have been sorted....

Most of you that have been members of Paddleducks for a while will know that I tend to look for the more unusual vessels to model, so how about this one, discovered by Walter Snowdon - God knows where he keeps finding this stuff!!

This is a small model of a paddle lifeboat made for a competition to design a new lifeboat around 1850 - The vessel has 4 paddlewheels driven by hand cranks. The crew sit inside totally enclosed when the top hatches are closed. At the bow and stern are two hatches with leather seals - The helmsman sits in the rear with his head and shoulders protruding to steer, and an observer can sit in the front.

The boat has wheels which are below keel level, so the boat can be drawn by horses or men as if it's on wheels up and down the beach. And it has sloping sides with battens attached so any survivors can easily haul themselves up onto the craft....

A truely unique vessel I'm sure you'll agree!

[Eddy Matthews]

I mentioned to Stuart Badger that I was looking for cartwheels, and asked if he knew of any sources in the trade since he was a professional modeller, but to no avail..... Nothing even close to the size I would need for a model

Initially Stuart didn't know why I wanted cartwheels as I had intended to keep quiet about this one and just show up with it at our Paddler Day, but as we exchanged more and more info, I told him what I needed them for....

Then out of the blue came a box from Greece - Only about 14 days after I'd mentioned them! A real surprise, and one that I'm extremely grateful to Stuart for!

What was in the box? Well, the photos should explain all

[Eddy Matthews]

My next problem was finding or making a suitable hull.... I couldn't find anything available commercially, but I did find that Orion Mouldings did a hull for a Liverpool class lifeboat - The Liverpool class was a motor lifeboat and had twin tunnels to accommodate the props, so it would need a LOT of modifying!

So I emailed Anth at Orion, and asked if he had anything suitable that wasn't listed on his website - The answer was No, but then he said he could probably modify the Liverpool hull to produce what I wanted..... My immediate thought was that this would be expensive, but not a bit of it!! Anth duly produced a hull that met my requirements and all at a cost of £60 including postage! A heck of a price for a "one-off" hull!

So here's the hull....

[djcf]

Hi Eddy, That is one unusual subject, will make an interesting model project i'm sure. Love the "cart wheels" kit, Stuart, even though I'm far too young (well under 50  )
A bit of luck with the hull also...will be good to see your progress Eddy
regards
Clark

[neil howard-pritchard]

as a predominantly model lifeboat builder, i commend you, Eddy for taking on such a very very unusual prototype to model.
i was only reading about it in one of my old books a short while ago, but can't remember which.
good luck with it, and i'm sure she'll be the talk of the lake once finished.

[Eddy Matthews]

Perhaps you can answer a question Neil, since I know very little about lifeboats.... What colours would have been used on a typical pulling lifeboat of the 1850's period? Did they even have a standardised colour scheme back then?

As the model I'm basing it on has no paint on it (at least none that remains), I have to come up with a plausible colour scheme. And at best it can only be a semi-scale model as I only have limited details since no full size prototype was ever built.

I should also say that I don't do the sort of pristine paint finishes you see on the more modern lifeboats, which is one reason I avoid them like the plague generally!

Regards
Eddy

[neil howard-pritchard]

hi eddy..well. there was a standard colour even in those days, IF the RNLI were in charge of the station, and that was red white and blue, similar to the pre fast launch and carriage boats[ what we call the Historic or Classic double enders]
The blue of the hull above waterline was a much lighter shade than that used on the later classic boats.Those boats kept afloat in harbours usually had an anti fouling of a mid to dark green instead of the later red oxide.
However many of the lifeboats both pre and post 1824 when Sir William Hilliary set up the Royal Society for the Preservation of life from Shipwreck were coloured usually with white clinker hulls,.

Then there are those which ( and your paddle boat is one of them) were designed by individuals for different competitions inaugurated by succesive charirmen of the societies, the culmination being that instigated by the Duke of Northumberland, and although many were never actually developed from the models that were presented, some where, and they were painted ad hoc in the colours of their designer.
Your paddle lifeboat, I believe, was one of these, and as such I wouldn't be able to say.

However, If you get in touch with the RNLI in poole and ask who their current historian is ( as I believe the long in establishment one has recently retired) they may be able to help you.
Also they are always very interested when such a model is being re created.

Hope that helps. neil.

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks for the detailed reply Neil, much appreciated.

I assume that most lifeboat modelers use car paints as most modelers do, so what car colours would be right for the red, white, and blue colour scheme of that period?

Do you know of any online source showing this colour scheme on a model, so at least I can get the general look somewhere near what it might have been?

As I said, I'm not looking to produce a pristine example, but it would be good to get the general flavour correct.

Regards
Eddy

[neil howard-pritchard]

the red i use is humbrol gloss red no.19.
the white is ford glacier white, and the blue is any lighter shade than ford galaxy or ford royal blue.
the model enclosed is of my old Liverpool class dated to around the late 1930's, but the blue of a pre 1900's boat would be quite a few colour ranges lighter than that.
neil,

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks again Neil,

One of my problems is that I'm colour blind, so I need to have definite names or numbers to work from with colours

It has been known for me to paint a model in what I thought was the right colour, only to be told later that I've painted something green when it should be blue!

Regards
Eddy

P.S. a very nice lifeboat!

[neil howard-pritchard]

i'll have a look at halfords next time i'm down blackpool and get back to you on what i reckon will be a close colour.
neil.

[Eddy Matthews]

i'll have a look at halfords next time i'm down blackpool and get back to you on what i reckon will be a close colour.
neil.

Thanks Neil, that would be a great help!

Regards
Eddy

[neil howard-pritchard]

no problems eddy.

[neil howard-pritchard]

Eddy,

I went down to Halfords car accesory place this morning  and had a look at the paint range.

The nearest I could find to the old pre 1880's colour of the lighter blue is a "Ford Maritime Blue" colour.
If I were building a lifeboat of the 1850's era, that would be the colour I would use and choose to paint it with.

good luck. neil.

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks Neil, that gives me all the info I need for the colours. All I need to do now is to devise a suitable colour scheme using those 3 colours.....

Anyone any good with a graphics program to do some samples? I'm hopeless with them!

Regards
Eddy