61' Barnett class lifeboat

I am buzzing with excitement, and it doesn't take much to excite an old fart like me these days.

I have never ever seen a model of the class I am going to build next anywhere at a show,on a lake or in a show case.

The model I am going to build is of one of 4 built, and is of the 60/61' Barnett class lifeboat, and is to be built at 1;12 scale, giving a model of 61" LBP X 15" beam and 4" draught.

The plans up on the drawing board are for the 60' RNLB William and Kate Johnstone, but with slight mods I will extend the main keel and backbone by 1 inch to build the longest of the 4 boats built, the RNLB Princess Mary, which I think is the nicest looking of the 4 boats which were in build order:

William and Kate Johnston, 1923, New Brighton,

Emma Constance, 1926, Aberdeen,

Robert and Marcella Beck, 1926, Plymouth,

Princess Mary, 1929, Padstow.

Looks like that will keep you buisy for a while Neil. Plank on frame hull too?

George

Really interesting looking model Neil. I think these older boats had so much more character about them and make for a much more attractive model.

By the way how did Windermere go? Also how is you own model that sank, has she recovered to a point where it is useable?

only for a plug for a fibre glass mould, George...........my years of building Billing boats in the late 60's and through to the early 80's taught me one thing.............a POF hull waas just a means to an end with plenty of P38 filler and plenty of sanding lol.

Thats the way to go.

yes, she wasn't damaged Richard, just wet...............even the radio gear dried out as it was fresh water..............but she is sat on her stand for now, until i have time to drop the main sail and re motor her with more powerful motors........the others were just not up to the job.

Sadly the windermere sail didn't go ahead and is resheduled for next summer..........after two beautiful calm days leading up to it saturday turned out with storm force winds up here with weather warnings for sailors on windermere.driving winds across the lake of up to 27 knots, horrizontal rain and thunder and lightning........even the d class RNLI rib and the support steam launch said it was madness to proceed with 3-4foot waves and white caps, and didn't want to proceed........and the lads cancelled it.

i didn't make it further than lancaster as my car lost power with engine warning lights lit up and the car went into limp mode.....and spent nearly 3 hours in lancaster waiting for recovery home.

it was a very sad day for all after such organisation and a wait of nearly 3 years...............

but ypu just can't fight the weather, sadly.

Hi Neil,

Your new project is going to be a cracker I will be interested to see your progress.

I stupidly bought a copy of Dave Metcalf's drawing for a Tyne Class !!!

One day I will have a go at building her from the plan, there are some many bits to make

Regards Ray

I think that may well have been the same time Neil as I was trying to handle a canal barge on a very exposed stretch of the Leeds/Liverpool canal as it goes across a very wide open valley near Skipton. I ended up pinned against the bank by horizontal rain and completely unable to get the boat off. Meanwhile I got colder and wetter!

Maybe you could have the modifications to yours ready for next year?

send me your address ray and you can have my 12th scale set of plan that i had enlarged..........there is a 12th scale part built 12th scale Tyne on ebay at the moment at a decent price if it doesn' go any higher/..............have a look.............saves a hell of a lot of work.

TYNE CLASS LIFE BOAT (INCOMPLETE) 1/12th SCALE-WITH RUNNING GEAR | eBay

sailed that numerous times on my narrowboat some years ago Richard, as it was a lovely run from Chorley where she was moored on farmers canal frontage to Skipton and back..........its a lovely canal, and Skipton and Bizzie Lizzy's fish and chips was well worth the trip.

and yes its windy on the "tops".

did you go through East Marton and the double bridge which holds up the A59.......the story behind that is fasinating, lol.

That's a really interesting prototype Neil and one which seems to have been neglected by modellers.

It will be interesting to follow the build of what is quite a large model.

Colin