previously held by all competent judges that a mechanically-propelled
life-boat, suitable for service in heavy weather, was
a problem surrounded by so many and great difficulties that
even the most sanguine experts dared not hope for an early
solution of it. This type of boat (fig. 3) has proved very useful.
It is, however, fully recognized that boats of this description
can necessarily be used at only a very limited number of stations,
and where there is a harbour which never dries out. The highest
speed attained by the first hydraulic steam life-boat was rather
more than 9 knots, and that secured in the latest 912 knots.
In 1909 the fleet of the Institution included 4 steam life-boats
and 8 motor life-boats. The experiments with motor life-boats
in previous years had proved successful.
The other types of pulling and sailing life-boats are all non-self-righting, and are specially suitable for the requirements of the different parts of the coast on which they are placed. Their various qualities will be understood by a glance at the illustrations (figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8).
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| Fig. 4.—Plans, Profile and Section of Cromer Type of Life-boat. | |
A, Deck. |
C, Side air-cases above deck. |
The Institution continues to build life-boats of different sizes according to the requirements of the various points of the coast at which they are placed, but of late years the tendency has been generally to increase the dimensions of the boats. This change of policy is mainly due to the fact that the small coasters and fishing-boats have in great measure disappeared, their places being taken by steamers and steam trawlers. The cost of the building and equipping of pulling and sailing life-boats has materially increased, more especially since 1898, the increase being mainly due to improvements and the seriously augmented charges for materials and labour. In 1881 the average cost of a fully-equipped life-boat and carriage was £650, whereas at the end of 1901 it amounted to £1000, the average annual cost of maintaining a station having risen to about £125.
The transporting-carriage continues to be a most important part of the equipment of life-boats, generally of the self-righting type, and is indispensable where it is necessary to launch the boats at any point not in the immediate vicinity of the boat-house. It is not, however, usual to supply carriages to boats of larger dimensions than 37 ft. in length by 9 ft. beam, those in excess as regards length and beam being either launched by means of special slipways or kept afloat. The transporting-carriage of to-day has been rendered particularly useful at places where the beach is soft, sandy or shingly, by the introduction in 1888 of Tipping’s sand-plates. They are composed of an endless plateway or jointed wheel tyre fitted to the main wheels of the carriage, thereby enabling the boat to be transferred with rapidity and with greatly decreased labour over beach and soft sand. Further efficiency in launching has also been attained at many stations by the introduction in 1890 of pushing-poles, attached to the transporting-carriages, and of horse launching-poles, first used in 1892. Fig. 9 gives a view of the modern transporting-carriage fitted with Tipping’s sand- or wheel-plates.
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| Fig. 5.—Plans, Profile and Section of Liverpool Type of Life-boat. A, B, C, E, G, as in fig. 3; D, end air-compartments; F, iron keel; H, drop-keels. |
The life-belt has since 1898 been considerably improved, being now less cumbersome than formerly, and more comfortable. The feature of the principal improvement is the reduction in length of the corks under the arms of the wearer and the rounding-off of the upper portions, the result being that considerably more freedom is provided for the arms. The maximum extra buoyancy has thereby been reduced from 25 ℔ to 22 ℔, which is more than sufficient to support a man heavily clothed with his head and shoulders above the water, or to enable him to support another person besides himself. Numerous life-belts of very varied descriptions, and made of all sorts of materials, have been patented, but it is generally agreed that for life-boat work the cork life-belt of the Institution has not yet been equalled.
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| Fig. 6.—Plans, Profile and Section of Norfolk and Suffolk Type of Life-boat. A, B, E, F, G, H, as in fig. 4; A, side deck; I, cable-well. |
Life-saving rafts, seats for ships’ decks, dresses, buoys, belts, &c.,
