lifeboat yacht conversion

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

How two architects refitted a cheap old lifeboat into this Arctic liveaboard cruiser

• Helen Fretter
• August 18, 2020

Clearly Stødig is not a sailing yacht, nor anything close to one. Indeed she is far from a conventional motoryacht. But sometimes there are vessels which may not have a mast and sails, but which appeal to an adventurous spirit just as much as any teak-decked, canvassed yacht. Stødig is such a boat.

Stødig is the brainchild of friends Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel, both 28. Looking at the beautiful spaces they have created in this unassuming 35ft tub, it comes as no surprise that the pair met when studying architecture.

While seafaring is a new pastime for Schnabel, Simmonds comes from a sailing heritage and spent a childhood sailing the family yachts out of East Sussex and across the English Channel .

“I’m actually the third generation of my family to have some sort of boat in Newhaven. My grandfather had an old wooden boat that never left the harbour and was always sort of an ongoing project. Stødig is the first motor boat in the family, and yes, that was a small point of family contention!” he explains.

Given formative years spent on yachts, what drew Simmonds to the 23-year-old No 1 Lifeboat that had spent its working life strapped to the side of the MV Clansman ferry in the western isles of Scotland?

“I guess it was the architect in me seeing an opportunity in a slightly unusual space,” he explains. “There’s only a certain number of ways you can lay out a sailing yacht on the whole.

“And there’s a certain number of ways you can lay out a narrow boat, which I guess was another thing we thought about, whereas there haven’t been many lifeboats that have been so thoroughly converted. So there was that blank canvas appeal.

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“There was a cost element to it as well. These lifeboats cost six figures new, but they’re generally sold for between £5,000-10,000. They’re built to a very high standard and they’re very safe. The fibreglass is up to 25mm thick, which is massive compared to any yacht.”

In early 2018 the 100-man lifeboat was listed for sale via a closed bidding process, Schnabel and Simmonds submitted an offer of £7,000 and won. Collection was due one week later, so she was hastily hauled down from Scotland to Lochin Marine shipyard in Newhaven in March.

Alongside their freelance architecture work, the duo spent every available hour during weekends and evenings working on the lifeboat, which they had renamed Stødig , meaning ‘steady’ or ‘reliable’ in Norwegian. They set themselves a deadline of a year to transform the industrial vessel into a liveaboard cruiser.

The roof deck is covered in flexible solar panels by Sunflare. They can be stood on and the tender can be inflated on the roof

“Our total budget was £30,000, which included the purchase of the boat,” recalls Simmonds. “This meant we really needed to do most of the work ourselves.

“One benefit of this is that we know the boat inside and out. We have such an intimate knowledge of her design and build that it has enabled us to troubleshoot en route in a way that we really wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.”

Utilitarian

First on the job list was removing a dozen fibreglass benches that lined the interior for the lifeboat’s intended 100 emergency passengers. “Then we set to work on making a cockpit,” Simmonds recalls. “If your ferry sinks off the coast of Scotland in a storm and you’re evacuated by lifeboat, understandably you’d probably like to be fully enclosed and as safe as possible.

“For our purposes, though, we wanted some external space where we could introduce a primary access door into the boat, store ropes and fenders, fish from and step into from the quayside.”

The pair designed a small sunken cockpit, cutting out a section of the superstructure at the stern, but as the lifeboat was intended for exploring Norwegian fjords in all weathers, the majority of the living space is inside. Having being designed for utilitarian levels of comfort, Stødig now features two symmetrical double cabins, additional bunks, a light-filled saloon and galley, and separate shower room.

“Although just 35ft long, it’s 35ft of very usable space. Critically it’s also got a beam of 3m, but it’s got that beam along the full length of the boat. So on a 35ft yacht you might have a 10ft beam but only in the widest part, whereas we have that from bow to stern really,” said Simmonds.

The saloon leads to the pair of symmetrical forward cabins, with a log-burning stove between

“That enabled us to put two double cabins in the bow, which you don’t get on any yacht really! We wanted to create quite equal amounts of space for both of us. Having grown up on sailing holidays and staying on boats there was always that discussion about who got the nice cabin!”

The saloon is made up of a galley to starboard and a seating area and table to port (which converts into an occasional double berth). “We were able to put the seating area and the kitchen opposite each other and make them both fairly generous, and still have quite a lot of floor space.

“When we’re packing for a ski or camping trip, or when we’re doing some work on the boat, we have so much floor space you’re not tripping over each other the whole time. That’s really appealing in terms of the liveability of the boat.”

Solar panels providing 900W plus a wind turbine means Stødig is virtually self-sufficient

However the main feature of the saloon are two huge curved acrylic windows. “We have these big outlooks so we can see the mountains outside, but we also allow a lot of light in, and that makes the inside volume feel twice as big,” Simmonds adds.

Abaft the saloon there is a bunk cabin, a composting heads with separate shower, and stowage for essential items like skis. A wood-burning stove offers restorative warmth after snowy expeditions.

More high tech solutions came onto the boat through welcome sponsorship. “A lot of the high value products such as the electrical system and solar panels were donated,” Simmonds says, which boosted their initial budget by around £10,000.

They included lightweight stick-on solar panels from Sunflare that wrap around the curved roof, and provide 900W of power. There is also a small wind turbine from Giga on top of the lifeboat’s navigation mast. Stødig is almost entirely self-sufficient, and the pair estimate they have drawn shore power just half a dozen times.

Balancing act

In order to reduce the rolling motion, the pair added ballast to the lifeboat during the refit, including sandbags in the bilges. “The original boat when totally empty weighed just under 5 tonnes; it has a maximum weight of 12.5 tonnes when it has 100 people in it, because 100 people is just under 8 tonnes. We didn’t want to go fully laden but eventually, with all the conversion and ballast, I think that we’ve added about 3.5 tonnes. That’s a fairly back of the envelope sort of calculation.

“The shape of the boat means it’s never going to cut through the water, it is going to punch through as it has a fairly bulbous bow. But we’re quite happy, we’re glad we didn’t make it any heavier, but also no lighter because we’ve been in some pretty rough seas in the boat and it handled them very well.”

The former lifeboat contending with rough seas off Haukland in the Lofoten Islands

In May last year Simmonds, Schnabel, and Shackleton, Simmonds’s Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, set off for northern Norway from Newhaven, a 3,100-mile adventure. With a cruising speed of 6 knots on Stødig they first crossed the Channel, before heading up the Belgian and Dutch coastlines, and picking their way through Dutch inland waterways.

“We were very careful about our passage planning and opted for inland routes where we could. Doing this for a lifeboat did mean taking passage planning to another level to ensure we caught the most favourable sea states possible,” Simmonds recalls.

Driving a bus

The close-quarter handling was more of a challenge. “It’s a bit like manoeuvring a large bus when you’re used to manoeuvring a Mini. With a yacht you can pivot the vessel around its keel but there’s no pivot point on a lifeboat and we don’t have thrusters. That said, we navigated through the Dutch canals for a week, we have been into a lot of the busiest marinas in Northern Europe and we didn’t have any incidents.”

Shackleton, the resident Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, makes the most of the wheelhouse roof hatch

They transited through the Kiel Canal and then sailed north via Denmark before exploring the archipelagos on Sweden’s west coast. “The hairiest passage was an extremely rough crossing of the Skagerrak between Sweden and Norway,” recalls Simmonds, which saw them crossing in 4m waves. “We caught the tail end of a rather big storm. Lifeboats are tested in far worse conditions so though we had every confidence our home was up to it, we were very glad to reach dry land.”

Having reached Norway by midsummer, they have explored islands and archipelago as far as Tromsø, where they overwintered. “We found the most incredible anchorages – remote, peaceful and uninhabited – slung a rope around a tree stump or a rock and would barbecue on the water’s edge in splendid isolation.

“We could also reach spectacular waterways in Stødig , behind islands and in the fjords and explore passages that would be inaccessible to vessels with deeper draughts. Also knowing you have nearly an inch of fibreglass between you and the sea gives you a lot of confidence when it comes to sitting on the bottom or mooring up against cliff faces and navigating through Norway’s rocky and narrow passages.”

Additional reporting by Chantal Borciani. First published in the July 2020 edition of Yachting World.

Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

Lifeboat and working boat conversions

• Clive Marsh
• July 6, 2023

The basic shape of a traditional lifeboat is a long shallow keel, double ended and beamy – ideal for conversion into a cruising boat

Ex-RNLB Henry Finlay lifeboat on the River Dart in Dartmouth. Credit: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy Credit: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy

Modern ships’ lifeboats are much more likely to save your life by keeping you dry and warm than their open boat predecessors, should you be unlucky enough to need one.

They may resemble orange submarines but they have a fit-for-purpose design.

However, there was a time when a ship’s lifeboat actually looked like a boat and they were often used for conversions into sailing or motor yachts once their mother ships were scrapped.

The London Nautical School was founded as a consequence of the inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic .

As we know, there were not enough lifeboats for all the passengers when the great ship hit an iceberg, so the fundamentals of London Nautical School training included navigation and lifeboat launching.

A closed liferaft moored on a riverbank on the River Thames. Credit: Daniel Bond/Alamy

The school’s yard had a traditional lifeboat on davits and boats afloat in the docks and river ready for rowing at 0800 on a Monday morning all year round.

Navigation, communications and ship construction classes were daily events. The idea was to supply competent ships’ officers.

The honours board in the school’s hall names many master mariners including a First Sea Lord.

The school’s boats were double-ended heavy sea boats of wooden, clinker construction .

Often 28ft in length, they were hardy vessels and their type had undertaken many long passages from Captain Bligh’s adventure to Sir Ernest Shackleton’s great voyage.

The art master at the school, Crawford Dew, had been trained to paint by Shackleton’s daughter and, being a keen East Coast sailor himself, created several fine paintings illustrating the James Caird lifeboat on her passage from Antarctica to South Georgia.

Clive’s Emsworth Lugger – hull taken from a local working boat

One hangs in Dulwich College, where you’ll also find the James Caird today.

Some ships’ lifeboats were just for rowing; many carried a simple sailing rig , usually a lug sail , while others had an inboard engine and were often used as harbour launches when in port.

I undertook several sea passages at school and was always more interested in the ship’s boats than in the actual ships.

When I finally went to sea as a navigation officer cadet, I was pleased to be given responsibility for maintaining the two ship’s lifeboats.

Both were traditionally-shaped vessels, made of aluminium rather than wood. The port-side boat was oars only and the starboard boat had a small inboard engine which was maintained by the junior engineer officer.

There were 29 of us on board, and there came a time when only one boat was operational…

Not invincible

When off watch or duty one of my favourite pastimes was to sit in the port-side boat with a good book and watch the seas rolling by, at times towering higher than the side of the ship.

When I was on leave, a wave broke over our stern port side and smashed into my lifeboat, removing all contents before folding it flat.

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The weight of that water also bent the railings.

I’d always thought the chances of getting a lifeboat off the side of a ship in typical winter North Atlantic conditions were 50/50 at best, and this incident confirmed how they could be smashed against the ship’s side in heavy seas.

The modern system of shoot launching over the stern looks like it would stand a greater chance of success.

Lifeboat conversions

The basic shape of a traditional lifeboat is a long shallow keel, double ended and beamy, ideal for conversion into a cruising boat.

Many old ones can still be seen on the Thames and Medway. Early conversions often featured built up topsides and a cabin.

The condition of these boats tends to reflect the condition of their owners. Some boats also carried a basic sailing rig and could be classified as motorsailers .

London Nautical School Cadets rowing past Parliament in the 1960s

Many early practical boat owners started their projects with a sound lifeboat hull.

The modern submarine-style ships’ lifeboats are a different kettle of fish altogether, but some are converted into motorboats and the larger ones often into houseboats.

There are many websites that show what can be done with these practical boat hulls. Search for ‘lifeboat conversions’.

But I like traditional shaped boats such as Sussex Beach boats and others that share certain features found in ship’s lifeboats.

The somewhat faded photo (above) shows London Nautical School cadets rowing past Parliament in their traditional boats on the fast flowing Thames.

No buoyancy aids, no anchor and little built in buoyancy. What could possibly go wrong?

Luckily, nothing ever did and this was partly because we were warned if we did fall in, we’d be sent to St Thomas’s hospital for a stomach pump. No thanks!

Clive’s newish Smack’s boat based on a traditional working boat from Maldon

Many boatbuilders take mouldings from old working boats as a basis for conversions into traditional sailing boats.

My Smack’s Boat and Emsworth Lugger are two examples.

I’ve also bought several small commercial Sussex Beach boats and introduced a mast, rudder and leeboards with some success.

However, you might find a builder of traditional fishing boats who would obviously do a better job of conversion and you would end up with a unique boat.

I plan to get around to it one day!

Smack’s boat specifications

Model: Smack’s boat Type: Simulated Clinker in GRP Length: 12ft 3in (3.73m) Beam: 5ft (1.52m) Draught: 6in (15cm) plate up or 2ft 9in (84cm) plate down Sail area: approx 82ft2 (7.61m2) Weight: approx 250lb (113kg)

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SHAREHOLDERS

Two architects re-purposed a 100 person marine survival lifeboat; Stødig, into a self sufficient expedition home and travelled 5000km from the UK to the Norwegian Arctic in 2019. Currently based in Tromsø.

THE ADVENTURE

Architects Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel bought a marine survival lifeboat in February 2018 and after a year long conversion left on four month voyage to the Arctic. Along with Shackleton, Guylee's dog, they travelled from the UK to Tromsø, far north in the Norwegian Fjords. Situated at 70 o north, Tromsø is the largest city in the Arctic and having arrived, the lifeboat and crew are spending the winter there, and exploring their surroundings. The aim of the expedition is to explore this wild and isolated landscape, demonstrate the ability of design innovation to facilitate self sufficiency in such extreme environments and to document and share the adventure through photography and film.

The voyage began in May 2019, departing the southern British port of Newhaven. The route skirted the Begian and Dutch coast, passing the Kiel canal in Germany into the Baltic. Passing up the Danish then Swedish coast past Copenhagen and Gothenburg, before crossing the Skagerrak south of the lower tip of Norway up to Bergen. The lifeboat then followed the route of the famous Hurtigruten ferry, passing up the fjords to Tromsø.

Guylee architect carpentry, sailing, kitesurfing, snowboarding

David architect photography, skiing, surfing, mountaineering

Shackleton explorer adventures, walks, licking, sniffing

8 countries - 5000km - 5 months

THE LIFEBOAT

Stødig has had a scenic life already. Built in 1997 in Norway by Norsafe, she spent her previous life as Clansman Lifeboat No.1, serving the Western Isles of Scotland aboard the CalMac ferry, MV Clansman. Originally designed to carry 100 people in a survival situation, she is our robust, unsinkable and spacious blank canvas.

Our redesign includes two forward cabins, a kitchen and dining area, bathroom, bunk beds and stern cockpit (see the layout below). The name Stødig is a Norweigian adjective meaning sound and steadfast reflecting the lifeboat's reliable and functional design and her adaptation into a utilitarian expedition vessel.

1 stern cockpit 2 hatch lockers 3 chart table 4 long storage 5 wheel house 6 bunk beds 7 bathroom 8 living/dining 9 kitchen 10 storage 11 cabin1  12 cabin2

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why a lifeboat?

They are the ultimate functional product, intended for mass transport in survival situations. It was this functional aesthetic, their generous interior and their relative affordability that paved the way for this conversion and voyage. After spotting a converted lifeboat on a river three years ago, Guylee became convinced they had the potential to become a supreme adventure craft. With a trip to Norway already gestating, he then had to convince David it was a good idea...

How are you documenting the project?

David's passion is landscape and adventure photography, and he is recording every stage of the project. We are also lucky enough to have filmmakers COPA and Febril, notably Jonny Campbell making a feature film of the conversion. We hope to show the finished film at festivals in 2020.

How are you funding this adventure?

We both worked hard to raise funds alongside the conversion, and continue to work whilst travelling. At the same time we are benefiting from the generosity of a number of companies donating their products and a crowd funding campaign selling shares in the lifeboat, profits from which will go to the work of Hope Health Action. Please email us to find out more about these opportunities.

Where next?

Having reached Tromsø, we are beginning the next stage of our adventure, continuing to live aboard Stødig and using her as a base to explore the top of Norway. In 2020 we are looking forward to going further north, the last bit of the Norwegian coast we are yet to see. After that, who knows?

What breed is Shackleton?

Shackleton is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, originally bred to lure ducks from the river side in Canada. He does not have many opportunities to rustle ducks, his main role on board is morale and vacuum cleaning.

Stødig exemplifies a lot of things I am passionate about: adventure, self sufficiency, sustainability and a dogged determination to explore remote places in new ways. With Guylee and David’s design skills I am looking forward to seeing how they overcome the challenges facing them during the lifeboat’s conversion and how they can capture and share this entire odyssey.

MARK BEAUMONT adventurer & broadcaster

Everyone should do something like this when they are young, this voyage should inspire others to take on their own challenges.

SIR ROBIN KNOX-JOHNSTON sailing maverick

SUPPORTED BY

IN SUPPORT OF

Hope Health Action provides life saving health and disability care to the world's most vulnerable without discrimination. Guylee has been involved in their work in Haiti since 2009, most recently spending 18 months working there.

© Guylee Simmonds & David Schnabel 2018

[email protected]

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10 of the biggest superyacht conversions

Related articles, superyacht directory.

It's not easy to transform a vessel built for function into a thing of beauty. But, if done right, the results can be magnificent. From naval frigates to ice-breaking tugs, we take a look at the top ten largest superyacht conversions to date...

1. Yas | 141m

Yas was first delivered in 1978 as a naval frigate named HNLMS Piet Hein . After two decades of service in the Dutch Royal Navy and a decade serving the UAE military, she was released from duty and converted into a private yacht under the codename Swift 141. Jacques Pierrejean is the man behind her futuristic design which includes a giant glass dome. The entire project was carried out in Abu Dhabi and the vessel was extended by 12 metres to accommodate a new pool deck. In 2011, she was relaunched in Port Zayed in Abu Dhabi and is the 11th largest yacht in the world .

2. Maryah | 125m

The 125 metre former Russian research vessel sailed under the names Dalmorgeologiya , Fortune and Czar , before she was converted into a SOLAS-compliant superyacht by Greek shipyard Elefis in 2015. Details of her interiors have been closely guarded but are said to feature a cinema and accommodation for 54 guests across her six decks.

3. Alexander | 121.95m

Alexander first splashed in 1965 and served as a cruise liner until 1985 when, after several changes of ownership, she was converted into a superyacht by Greek shipping tycoon John Latsis. She was extensively refitted in 1985 and then again in 1998, with accommodation for up to 80 guests in 40 staterooms. Highlights include a swimming pool, hospital, gymnasium, a 27-seat cinema and a helicopter landing pad.

4. Project Y910 | 120m

Built in Poland in 1990, the 90 metre vessel served as an offshore supply ship named after the Russian writer Vladimir Chivilikhin . The ship was in service until 1998 when its owner decided to convert the vessel into a luxury per-cabin charter yacht under the project name KAY. Work on the hull began at Keppel Singmarine before the yacht made its way to Italy for outfitting at Fincantieri. The half-built project was put up for auction in November 2021. Currently lying at the Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, she patiently awaits a new owner. 

5. Turama | 116.41 m

Christened Delfin Caravelle, the 116 metre vessel was delivered as a passenger ship in 1990 by Finnish shipyard Rauma and converted into a luxury charter yacht in 2004. Little is known about the conversion of Turama .

6. Dream | 106.5m

The 106.5 metre Dream was born into the world as a humble passenger vessel before she embarked on a near decade-long conversion project to fulfil the lifelong dream of an ambitious new owner. Under the project name Poseidonos, work began in 2008 at Chalkis Shipyards in Greece with exterior design by Studio Vafiadis and an all-new interior by  Ciarmoli Queda Studio. The team's efforts were rewarded when Dream picked up a Neptune for Best Converted Yacht at the 2019 World Superyacht Awards . 

7. Christina O | 99.15m

Christina O was built for the Canadian Navy as an anti-submarine frigate under the name HMCS Stormont .  After surviving in the second world war, she was purchased for scrap value by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who then converted her into the legendary Christina O . A six-year conversion ensued and she was reborn in 1954 as an ultra-luxury private yacht that was regularly seen to host royalty and the Hollywood A-list with the likes of Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Sir Winston Churchill, Grace Kelly, John F Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor welcomed on board.

8. Voyager | 91.4m

Previously known as Danah Voyager , the conversion of this former offshore supply ship is the largest to take place on American soil. First delivered by Swiftships in 1997, the 63 metre commercial vessel arrived in Dania Cut in Florida in 2016 and emerged from the sheds three years later as a 90 metre explorer with five decks, 70 crew and a dive centre.

9. Dubawi | 90.6m

Dubawi began life in 1989 as a small passenger ship built by Cantieri Navale Ferrari before she was converted into a private yacht two decades after her launch. The project was awarded to Dubai shipyard Platinum Yachts and remains one of its biggest projects to date, second only to the 162 metre Dubai . Work included a five-metre extension, a restructuring of the top deck and an entirely new interior.

10. Lauren L | 90m

Built by Cassens-Werft in 2002, Lauren L began life as a cruise ship sailing under the name Constellation . After four years in service, she was bought by Liveas Yachts who converted her into a modern charter yacht with the capacity to carry a maximum of 40 guests. 

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What could be done with an enclosed lifeboat?

Discussion in ' Boat Design ' started by AskingAboutLifeboat , Dec 25, 2019 .

AskingAboutLifeboat New Member

Hi there! First time posting here, but been lurking for quite a while. I've recently been wondering about the idea of some sort of conversion of an enclosed lifeboat (probably a relatively large one, 70-150 passenger-rating range), as seen below (not necessarily the exact model pictured). My interest in this mostly comes down to the fact that they seem an ideal candidate as a safe, inexpensive, and mass-produced (though granted, certainly not stylistically beautiful) platform for conversion into something able to do more than just keep its passengers alive until they can get off it. If it sounds like I don't have a particularly fleshed-out idea of what exactly I'm "looking for", that's because I don't really. I'm more interested in what might be possible with one of these than I am trying to get advice on any specific project involving one. I've seen some interesting conversions of them (including the quite recent Stødig, at Stødig http://arctic-lifeboat.com/ ), but I'm not looking to directly replicate anything I've seen. That said, I have a few questions about such a conversion, which I imagine the people here will be much more able to answer than the research I've done so far. Firstly, is there anything about the nature of these things use (where they're expected to survive in basically any conditions, exactly one time) that would make it difficult to use one longer-term? Is a lifeboat's engine, or any other system (I suppose there's not too much to break on them) supposed to handle more than short periodic tests, potentially followed by one longer use if the boat is deployed in an emergency? I know they generally just use small marine diesels, but there may be something I'm not thinking of here. How capable could one of these be? Clearly, as lifeboats, they're supposed to survive deployment at sea, potentially in conditions able to do enough damage to whatever ship they're mounted on as to warrant their use, and everything I've heard about them seems to indicate they'd likely survive just about anything. They're obviously self-righting and inherently buoyant, and it sounds as though their hulls have to be built quite strongly to meet SOLAS standards. However, I've also heard doubts as to how well they can actually be controlled in rough seas, as well as some saying that they capsize easily and rely heavily on their ability to self-right. I also imagine their limited "stock" fuel capacity and lack of redundant propulsion would make any serious long-range use infeasible without some serious retrofit work. How far could you realistically take one of these without doing too much to the mechanical side of it? How far could you realistically take one of these with a good bit of work done to it? Lastly, does anyone have any idea of typical specifications for one of these, beyond what appears on manufacturer sites? I've generally seen speed specified as "greater than or equal to 6 knots in calm conditions", which is what they have to do to meet the standard. That sounds about right as a hull speed at their size, but if anyone has a better idea of top and cruise speeds, fuel consumption (which it sounds like might be pretty okay?), or anything else, I'd be very interested. Thanks!  

bajansailor Marine Surveyor

A former lifeboat could be converted into a very nice houseboat? I saw a photo of a bunch of rather forlorn looking lifeboats at a ship breakers yard in Alang Beach, India - I would guess that the breakers are open to offers from anybody who might want to purchase a lifeboat - however they are on the other side of the world from you, and shipping costs could rapidly erode any possible savings in purchase price. If your heart is set on a lifeboat, then you might perhaps be better off acquiring one that is not fully enclosed - many of the cruise ship lifeboats have canvas tarpaulins that roll down to keep the weather out - one of these might be more 'user friendly' re conversion (?). They float very high out of the water when they do not have any passengers on board, but this then gives you a lot of cargo capacity (and weight available for conversion) to bring her down to her load waterline. They should be much better behaved and easier to manoeuver generally when loaded. They usually have relatively small diesel engines in them - some are air cooled, others have a cooling system so that they can be started before they are sent away from the mother ship. The aim and object of these engines is to do just that - they are not really intended to then go on a long passage. Fuel consumption should be pretty frugal at 6 knots - maybe a gallon an hour for a 40 hp motor? So 6 mpg? But this would be in calm conditions - they would not be very happy trying to punch into a 20 knot headwind (and the associated sea). It should be possible to fit a larger motor if desired, but you would need to be strict with yourself as to how far you go on this conversion - it is very easy to get carried away with refit costs skyrocketing.  

Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

write script for a disaster/adventure/survival movie about a diverse and eclectic group of castaways from a cruise ship sinking (and maybe survivors of the related incident that get picked up). Standard movie stuff: it turns out not everyone is who they say they were, lives changed forever, etc. You already got the only prop needed. Just shoot past the breakers and have camera pointed out to sea.  

BlueBell . . . _ _ _ . . . _ _ _

AskingAboutLifeboat, Welcome to the forum. I have driven many, many different types of boats in my marine career, including one of these lifeboats. Have you priced one? Then drive one and compare it to a few other boats for sale and I think if you still want one, then buy one! Funny, I've never seen anyone cruising in one. Now buying and old lifeboat and fixing it up is a whole different matter.  

Coincidentally, I just saw this article mentioned in today's newsletter from Boat International - https://www.boatinternational.com/yachts/editorial-features/stodig-how-two-architects-transformed-a-ferry-lifeboat-into-a-home-with-hygge--42443 Two young lads (along with their dog called Shackleton) bought a 100 passenger capacity lifeboat from the Scottish ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne for GBP 7,000 and converted her into an expedition vessel to voyage to the High Arctic. Way to go! And they appear to have done a fine job of the re-fit. Here is a copy of the final paragraph of the article - When the winter thaws, the pair plan to set off again, using the boat to reach some of the most remote skiing fields in the country. “There are some places you just can’t reach by road,” Simmonds says. In the summer, the pair are considering a longer trip to Finnmark, which sits in the north of Norway. Beyond that, the future remains unclear. “This is just another life cycle of the boat,” Simmonds says. “We might do another passage on the boat or sell it to someone else so that they can undertake adventures of their own.”  

I don't know, I kinda liked the exterior water sprinkler system myself. And what does one of those cost?  

JSL Senior Member

one aspect: Consider visibility: You want to enjoy the scenery You want to enjoy safety - good visibility is critical for the Collision Regulations  

The visibility from inside the boat Stødig mentioned by the OP and in the Boat International article seems to be pretty good really. (I'm sorry but I didnt notice the OP's link to Stødig until just now). A vessel like this appears to be ideal for voyaging to high latitudes, but perhaps not so suitable for the tropics. Stødig reminds me a bit of David Scott Cowper's boat 'Polar Bound' - British sailor David Cowper navigates 'world's most difficult sea route' for first time since discovery in 1822 - Yachting World https://www.yachtingworld.com/extraordinary-boats/polar-bound-extraordinary-david-cowper-purpose-built-aluminium-vessel-94424  

gonzo Senior Member

The photo shows tiny windows. How can visibility be good? In the living area (saloon) there is almost none.  

gonzo said: ↑ The photo shows tiny windows. How can visibility be good? In the living area (saloon) there is almost none. Click to expand...

daniTS Junior Member

I know this is an older thread, but we just picked one of these up from BC Ferries refit yard in Richmond, BC. There are 3 more if you are still considering the idea and depending where in Canada you are. We got it towed over to us because of Covid so I can’t answer anything about handling it, but like you have devoured everything from Stodig. Boating Europe is another interesting Instagram account. They’ve travelled from the UK to the Black Sea on their lifeboat through the rivers and canals (our ultimate destination in 3-5 years, we’ll get it shipped). Lifeboat to Home is also converting and posting on Instagram, but they don’t post a lot. Anyway, some other photos to have a look at As for the engine, ours came with a 36hp, 3cyl dry stack bukh engine, which are meant to be pretty indestructible. They are keel cooled (fresh water) with no raw water intake. It’s loud, but also has no engine mounts or insulation at this point. We are also strongly considering going fully electric in the future which would sort out the noise issue. The boat is 60 persons, 8.5m x 2.75m. We had ideally wanted closer to 10, but having seen this one I think it will work out just fine. For us (my husband is a machinist and I’m a designer) we really wanted a shell to build out as we wanted. We have a ranger 29 we’ve had for a few years of weekending on and love (will be sad to sell her!) but any boat we live on we would have been gutting anyway, so the idea of a big empty, beamy shell with good head room (my husband is 6’5”) is appealing. Curious if you ended up getting one or deciding to get one!  

do you have some photos???  

JSL said: ↑ do you have some photos??? Click to expand...

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Those must have come off one of the northern boats. How much if I may ask?  

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BlueBell said: ↑ Those must have come off one of the northern boats. How much if I may ask? Click to expand...

Bar Island Skiff - Hull flip done

2nd episode Proa WHY NOT? refit done, b4 sea trials. Looking Good!

where in world to have done a new interior in sailboat

What can be done to help those suffering from ship accidents?

Introduction (thinking to build affordable floating houses in Indonesia using SIP)

Has anyone ever done...

this is it !!! im done searching for a boat !!!

What have I done?

Triangular Prism Sailboat, 2.4X1.4 meters, fully enclosed

Enclosed flicka to sailboat - world tour - who and how he did .

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Old Lifeboat converted with Gaff rig!

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If I recall correctly Joshua Slocum sailed a boat like this around the world around 1890 or so. It was called the 'Spray' and he did it single handed without an engine. Perhaps the name 'Slocum' has got you under it's spell but you should sail it before you buy it. It looks to be all wood (aka, a woodie) and lazy people seem to prefer plastic (FRP, GRP>>) boats over wooden boats for several reasons. Hey, if you like the boat and bought it I would call you lucky or 'Slocum'. Good luck.  

I will say two things. Nice looking boat, and be very careful. VERY CAREFUL. The two best types of boats are ones that can be carried, and ones you can live on. I once spent the night on a converted navy whaleboat around thirty feet, but it was on land, and half of it was a cabin. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/t2t4V4Vso2oL3H2PvGzpNg/l That is about all I know of wood boats. They are great, and beautiful, and if it has no keel, it's probably unsinkable. Don't let it put you off of wood, but it is a risky proposition to buy older wood boats. You don't buy a wood boat, you marry it.  

Ill keep you updated after I see it. Too bad I dont have a camera.  

HyLyte hit the nail on the head, but to add a bit more, What generically is called a lifeboat varied very widely with the country of origin and period of build. The boat in question looks like a conversion of an English lifeboat which is in part supported by the larch planking and lapstrake construction. She clearly had her sheer raised when the deck and cabin were added. The cabin construction details and the railing/bulkwark installation suggests that this was not a particularly expert conversion. She looks a lot like a lifeboat conversion that a hippie friend of mine owned back in the 1970's that he used to sail back and forth from Miami to the Bahamas. In general, wooden lifeboats had a tough life living out in the sun (dry), yet being expected to be water tight when the hit the water. They were expected to have a roughly 10 year lifespan and that was it. They were often iron fastened and had species that were suited to be stored dry and then suddenly launched and being water tight, rather than a species that is rot and borer resistant as would be desireable for a boat living in the water. Lifeboats needed to be burdensome (in order to carry a lot of wet passengers). By the mid-20th century most were not expected to actually sail or be moved under oars more than very short distances. For the most part, they had hull forms that were buoyant but very poor for sailing or any other form of propulsion. Those that had sailing rigs were unballasted and carried either a gaff rig, sliding gunther rig, quadralateral sprit rig, or a lug rig of some kind. In other words, rigs that would reach quite well but with limited upwind ability, developing a lot of drive with minimal heeling. The best sailing conversions were performed on Monomoy style lifeboats which were intended to be rescue type lifeboats and so rowed very well and sailed better than most other forms of lifeboats. That said they had lower freeboard and so the sheer needed to be raised to convert them to a sailing yacht. After the war you could buy lifeboats dirt cheap. Wooden Lifeboats could be bought for under a $100 and so they were often bought and converted. Some had brilliantly conceived conversions with long fin keels, cast ballast and decent rudder designs. The skillful conversions were quite yacht like and made great offshore pocket cruisers by the standard of the day. But by the 1960's you saw a lot of ill-conceived and poorly executed designs. The basic hulls, now 20-30 years old, were in rough shape and the hippie type owners were not big on craftsmanship or even knowledgeable in how to do a decent job. Many of these were about as minimal a conversion as you could imagine. In an earlier post on this topic I described 'Grace', which was just one such conversion. 'Grace' had a bit of deck added all around. Above this deck was a small cabin trunk but to call it a trunk cabin is to exaggerate a bit. It was really a trunk cabin top supported on wooden stanchions. Ratty old canvas curtains, stained a mottled ochre by rust and salt and mildew, could be rolled down on the forward end and the sides of the trunk to form the side and forward cabin bulkhead and when properly battened into place could almost keep out the rain and spray when needed. 'Grace's' rig was the original lifeboat's gaff rigged sloop; a small telephone pole for a mast held up by plow steel wire." In any event, if lovingly maintained boats like these can be a cheap thrill and fun in their percular way to own. If you buy one, your personality should be such that you enjoy working on the boat as much as sailing and need to be very patient when sailing. A well done lifeboat conversion will sail almost anywhere, but not get there all that quickly. Respectfully, Jeff Quotes regarding the Monomoy Lifeboats: "The Monomoys are 26' long with a 7' beam and draw of about 2' with the crew on board. Most weigh over 2,000 lbs. The rowing configuration is double-banked, that is, the eight rowers sit in four pairs side-by-side on fixed thwarts (benches). (In single-banked boats, like racing shells, rowers sit fore and aft of each other, each on their own seat.) Each rower handles a single 12' wooden oar. The oars range in weight from 11 to 15 lbs. A coxswain stands in the stern and steers with a 16' oar. In a BAWRA race, a 10th person rides in the bow for added safety." "The Monomoy design is an evolution of the classic utilitarian whaleboat: a double-ended, lightweight, cheaply constructed boat to be rowed or sailed under all conditions in pursuit of whales and for use in general ship's work. In 1934 the U.S. Coast Guard standardized the design for contract purposes, and thousands were built for use as lifeboats and gigs aboard not only naval and military ships but also commercial freighters and ocean liners.....The boat is quite simple and Spartan." -- From Wooden Boat Magazine, A Tale of Two Sisters: Carvel vs. Cold Molding, January/February, 1982 By W. Tay Vaughan, III  

So, can you rig up some ballast from the inside ? How hard would it be to conceive a more elaborated keel? I tried to see the boat but cant get very fast responses from seller. Soon I hope! Thanks for the info guys.  

Many of these older lifeboats had some inside ballast, but because these boats were never intended for inside ballast, it will greatly shorten the life of the boat. But more to the point I think you are really asking how to convert these old lifeboats from what was essentially a rowing boat to a sailing vessel. You have to start with the basics. The framing on a wooden sail boat is somewhat different than the framing on a rowing boat. While both will have transverse frame and floor timbers (a term which refers to the heavier frames that cross the keel and tie the two sides of hull together). In the case of a rowing hull, the floor timbers only have to keep the two sides of the boat together. But in the case of a sailing vessel, the mast, keel, rudder and rigging loads are trying to twist the boat apart and the floor timbers have to absorb that twisting force and distribute into a large enough area of the boat to prevent the boat from damaging itself. Typically the bolts from the external ballast keel pass through these floor timbers and so the timber has to be thick enough that the bolts won't split the timber apart. Therefore retrofitting a lifeboat to be a sailing vessel therefore requires adding deeper, heavier floor timbers. Adding a ballast keel means that there is a load perpendicular (vertically) to the keel as well and a lifeboat keel was not designed for that load so a keelson (inner keel timber) is added to distribute the load fore and aft. When you see chainplates bolted to the outside of the hull of a wooden boat, they are typically bolted through a heavier frame on the interior of the boat. This frame typically has a hanging knee that ties that frame to the deck and sheer clamp. Lastly while woodenboats are typically keel stepped, the keel of a lifeboat was not really designed to take the vertical thrust of the mast and so a timber gets added above the keel that distributes the loads two three frames fore and aft of the mast step and of course big floor timbers are added here as well. Once you have done that, you can easily add a lead shoe, or a lead fin keel. Once you have done all of that then the lifeboat will have the strength needed to be a sailboat and if it has a proper rig, sail moderately well, but not great. Jeff  

I saw the boat. It had a full keel and ballast, which looked like a good job, but the wood was rotting and drying. The boat pretty much looked like it was falling apart. I dont know why he was asking 3800 for it. Looks more like the kinda boat you would GIVE away. Needless to say I didnt make an offer. I learned a bit about lifeboat conversions thou. Now with the rest of my life.  

I dont know why he was asking 3800 for it Click to expand...

Lifeboat Unable to view pis's, would love to as i am also in the process of coverting a 26foot life boat.  

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You might be interested in this post http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener.../39047-lake-winnebago-watermelon-mystery.html It is about a Monomoy surf boat conversion.  

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