 Helen Smitton being launched at St Abbs, 1911 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Helen Smitton |
| Builder | Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company |
| Sponsored by | James Hodge |
| In service | 1911–1936 |
| Status | Under restoration |
| Official Number | ON 603 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Watson-class lifeboat |
| Length | 37.97 ft (11.57 m) |
| Beam | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Primary Oar/Sail plus 37hp Wolseley petrol engine |
RNLBHelen Smitton (ON 603) is aWatson-class lifeboat built byThames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company in 1910.Helen Smitton served as the lifeboat atSt Abbs,Berwickshire, Scotland from 1911 to 1936 and was the village's first lifeboat.[1]
Helen Smitton is a non-self-righting, 38-ftWatson-class lifeboat constructed from Hondurasmahogany on Canadianrock elmframes and stringers. Her floors are iron. A layer of calico coated with white lead paste sits between each layer of the hull. A 1.5 ton fixed iron ballastkeel and a triangular drop keel that passes through the fixed keel are present. She was powered by a 37 hpWolseley petrol engine. That engine is now missing.[2][3]
Helen Smitton is undergoing preservation work atMarloes,Pembrokeshire, West Wales, having been reduced to little more than a bare hull in poor condition and with structural problems. 95% of her original wooden hull remains.[2] She is listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels byNational Historic Ships, with certificate number 2220.[2]
| Watson-class lifeboats | |
|---|---|