The Tamar lifeboat was the first to be fitted with an integrated electronic Systems and Information Management System (SIMS), allowing the crew to operate the all-weather lifeboat from the safety of their shock-absorbing seats.

When crashing through the waves, the Tamar’s pioneering seat design absorbs most of the energy on impact, reducing the strain on crew members’ backs.

The Tamar is designed to be launched from a slipway – her mast and aerials can be lowered to fit inside a boathouse – and she can also lie afloat.

Tamar class lifeboats have gradually replaced some of our Tyne class lifeboats that have reached the end of their operational lives as part of our plans for a faster and more efficient 25-knot all-weather lifeboat fleet.

Following a tradition of naming our modern lifeboats after rivers, the Tamar is named after the Tamar River, which is 50 miles long and forms a natural boundary between Devon and Cornwall.

This week at Little Radford MBC we had two versions of RNLB Inner Wheel, RNLB The Princes Royal (Civil Service No41) and RNLB Elizabeth Rippon out and about they were accompanied by an Aerokits Diva and a RNLI Jet Ski.
I didn’t get the phone position quite right for the best quality photos.

This 1:14 scale Severn Class life boat was sold on one of our auctions. It was just the hull and bare superstructure.
2 months later, this is the result.

What to do during lockdown , well ive resorted to airfix , for now anyway

A 600mm long model hovercraft built from a kit using Depron polysyrene. Excellent kits and extremely light, quick on the water and very quick on polished surfaces such as sports halls. Contact Palaform for further info. Just Google them. Use styrofoam paint to decorate otherwise you risk melting the polystyrene.

Got this charming we fishing trawler from the local RNLI in Largs. Then I came accros this photograph of similarly looking vessels. Great stuff.

Terrific location. Ready at a moment's notice and staffed by the best.

Pity such a beautiful West Coast location should have a popular boat club pond in disrepair. Sign of the time perhaps with many councils having reduced expenditure. But a disappointment travelling with my small grandson to sail his little Proboat Westward 18 for the first time. it's the first thing he noticed, no water.

Staff in the RNLI shop along the promenade said the pond had not been in use since last year. Here's hoping the council can organise repairs before next year's season. I couldn't resist buying a little model fishing boat from them the RNLI shop which now has pride of place in our kitchen shelf.

took these shots at weymouth and thought they might help someone with a build

Using a 3.7g micro-servo. it is possible to install this small unit within many of the existing model Radar parts or scratch built models to create a working model Radar setup.

Here is an example of one fitted to my RNLI Trent lifeboat. I am using the bottom of the servo housing to clamp this unit to the underside of the base of the kits Radar platform, this helped to reduce the overall height and to maintain the scale size.

These servos are available on eBay at £1.89 including postage from China or Hong Kong.

I found this easy to mount and I have kept the servo electronics, connecting this servo to a spare channel on the receiver. This enables the radar to rotated in both directs at adjustable speeds or just stopped. I usually have it adjust at slow : scale speed, setting this with the trim on the transmitter.

Photograph of working Radar installed into Trent RNLI model.

This boat is currently being cleaned and minor repairs to be carried out. Twin electric motors are going into hull and will be a r/c conversion. Super detailed interior.

Owing it's origin to the RNLI lifeboats of the 19th century, the US Coast Guard 36'MLB saw service from 1900 to 1987. The USCG built over 300 boats of this class in various "mods" spanning it's life history. Constructed of wood and fitted with a bronze keel it was powered by a 4 cylinder engine later modified with a diesel motor. Early powered 36' boats carried oars and sails as auxillary power. My 36500 model was based on the famous Chatham Lifeboat Station in Massachusetts, USA. On Febuary 18, 1952 the CG 36500 rescued the 32 survivors of the tanker PENDLETON during a night time nor'easter storm. Without radio or radar the Coast Guardsmen found the stricken T-2 tanker in the blizzard, taking the crew off one at a time. With each pass of the lifeboat a tanker crewman climbed down a rope ladder and "fell" into the lifeboat. With all on board, the 36500 found it's way back to Chatham harbor much to the delight of the towns people and the Coast Guard! The most amazing fact regarding this rescue was that the 36 footers were only designed to carry 19 people, including the 3 man CG crew, without capsizing.
The model was scratchbuilt of balsa strips and aircraft plywood, using official USCG blueprints. Powered by a 6 volt motor and a 2 channel radio, the Chatham lifeboat is pleasure to run in my local pond.