Can anyone help me please?

[Nick KaveneyParticipant @nickkaveney98610]

[Nick KaveneyParticipant @nickkaveney98610]

Hello there.

My name is Nick Kaveney of Wanganui, New Zealand, and I have just joined this forum in the hope of getting some valuable insite into RC boats. I have built a couple of boats over the years as Static Displays and was quite proud if them, but I would like to build a RC one for a change.

Now that I am retired I would like to build a 20 – 56 person Lifeboat Pod as used on Oil Rigs and large Ships. I have been on the net to look for plans but am unable to find what I am looking for.

Does anyone know where I can purchase these from.

Thanks.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Nick,

Welcome to the forum, I'm not aware of any available model plans, the more modern stuff seems to be less popular these days, maybe try and find who manufactures the pods and contact them for a general arrangement drawing ?

Good luck & keep us posted

Regards Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Good quality drawings from manufacturers can be difficult to get hold of these days for reasons of commercial confidentiality, however It's always worth approaching them as Ray says.

I'm not aware of any model drawings. A look online suggests there are a lot of different designs.

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Why not just get a photograph of one on the internet and make up your own design. After all,, they are completely enclosed, so you have no internal work to do.

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Nick,

This fully enclosed lifeboat 8.5m long will hold 82 people, very handy if your ship is sinking, but not thing of beauty ?? and I guess it helps if your with friends.

Made in China obviously and sold by New Marine.

The Tom Hanks film Captain Phillips has one of the smaller free drop boats, great film

Regards Ray

[David Marks 2Participant @davidmarks2]

The response from Bob Wilson is the route that I would take. I have a model of a pusher tug as used on the UK canals for moving maintenance vessels around. The length and beam were obtained from the manufacturers web site and that information aided by numerous photos allowed my to produce a set of working drawings. So as long as it looks like the real thing then nobody can criticise the end result. I have two further models both still on the drawing board. The first is based on a vessel which appeared in MB about 10 years ago as a kit review and the second of an amphibious vehicle where I am using information/dimensions published in a book about the vehicle, but also aided by a plastic construction kit of the vehicle.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Another possible direction is to find one for sale, they do frequently appear on the market when ship's get scrapped, and ask the seller if you can visit it to take as many pictures and measurements as you can. If you take the right measurements and plenty of pictures you should be able to generate a set of working drawings from them.

Here's one example: Lifeboat for Sale

Another option might be to approach a shipping company whose vessels are fitted with the relevant boat and ask if you can visit the ship when it is in a UK port to do the same. That might be trickier as there is a lot more port and ship security nowadays than there ever was but it might be worth a try. I think the reason why there are no models of these boats is because they are basically not a very interesting subject as there is so little to see on the outside shell. There again it doesn't stop people making models of submarines!

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Nick, hang on a few days and i'll see what I can do.

we have a world reknown Nautical College near me in Fleetwood and i have friends who lecture there in boat drill and safety.

My daughter was once a student there and the college has 3 pods that the students train in during their courses, and I'll ask my contacts to see what they can do for you.

might take me a week but one of them is an international shipping surveyor a well.

WILL LET YOU KNOW.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

quicker than i thought………….no lines at presen but this might help and i'll ring one of the instructers who's also an RNLI crewman at fleetwood and ask him tomorrow

these might get you interested, courtecy of a mate who is an international marine surveyor.

 

150 Persons F.R.P Marine Totally Enclosed Lifeboat With SOLAS Approved from China manufacturer – China Deyuan Marine

Edited By neil howard-pritchard on 15/02/2023 22:20:25

[Nick KaveneyParticipant @nickkaveney98610]

Well guys, I'm blown away by the response from you. Thank you so much. Yes Neil and Ray Wood 2, that is the sort of thing I am looking for. I thought of doing one in 1/12th scale and making the basic shape out of dense polystyrene, shaping it and making a plaster mould to cast fibreglass matt in. Your thoughts anyone?

Edited By Nick Kaveney on 16/02/2023 00:29:28

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

i reckon that would work well,

if i were to build one that would be exactly the way i would go………….if you need lines i can ring my contact, otherwise, by getting styrene on the job, that sort of model would be easily achievable.

[Nick KaveneyParticipant @nickkaveney98610]

Thanks Neil. I'll give it a go and see what happens. Now to get some poly.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

An alternative would be to carve the entire hull from light density styrofoam, paint a release agent on it, cover in fine cloth fibreglass and resin and once cured, remove the styrofoam, or at least, remove as much as you need to.

i have used this to make a decent sized hull and it works ok. The initial cover can be roughly sanded with wet and dry paper, then p38 or similar car body filler laid on, which will enable a smooth surface to be obtained.

The initial block would be two halves, top and bottom, enabling you to cut through to separate once the hull is to shape. Also, by making the initial large blocks from multiple small blocks, with only the outer ones glued together, enables easy removal of these blocks afterwards, and a lot of the foam could be left in situ to add strength.

Something else to think about would be to vac form the hull. A denser foam is used, and a thin plastic is formed over it, two halves..top and bottom. Remove again as much styrofoam as needed, but leave enough to support the thin outer plastic. You would have to use a thin plastic outer or the former would need to be quite substantial, wood or plaster.

 

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 18/02/2023 10:02:48

[Nick KaveneyParticipant @nickkaveney98610]

Thank you Ashley for that. Yes, this seems to be the best way for me to go with this project. As pointed out to me a while ago, Drop Pods and the like are basic and lacking in detail, so I think I will try my hand at a Cruise Ship Life Boat. These are much more interesting.

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