The Helen Smitton is one of the first purpose-built motor lifeboats.  When launched in 2020 or Spring 2021 she will be the oldest motor lifeboat in the world in seagoing condition. 

Helen Smitton is being reconstructed by Malcolm Brown, a trained and qualified boatbuilder, engineer, industrial archaeologist, academic and consultant to the National Lottery Fund.  Recognising her importance, he purchased the vessel and it is hoped she will eventually return to cruise Scottish waters. 

She was built as a non self-righting motor/sailing/pulling lifeboat built in 1910 by the Thames Ironworks, Blackwall, who half a century earlier had built HMS Warrior.  She is largely intact and being reconstructed to original condition using, where possible, the same materials and methods employed in 1910.  She is being reconstructed near Dale, Pembrokeshire.

About Helen Smitton

Helen Smitton was built at a time of great change and debate concerning whether lifeboats should be self-righting or fitted with engines.  The RNLI and lifeboatmen of the past, who were generally men who earned their living from the sea, tended to be a conservative lot, resistant to change.  She has survived for over one hundred years because of superior craftmanship and high quality timber, both of which were readily available prior to the First World War.  She was built for a service life of 25 years, and in that time spent most of it between 'shouts' in a cosy tin shed at the top of the St Abbs slipway, where she was pampered by her crew of herring fishermen.

Her reconstruction has ensured that the vast majority of her construction is still in place; no fibreglass has been used, all her original hull planks and frames remain in place.

When sold out of service by the RNLI in 1936, a fundamental change took place in that she was kept, like most vessels, out on the open where she was now under constant attack from the elements.

Reconstruction Project

Helen Smitton is being reconstructed by Malcolm Brown, a trained and qualified boatbuilder, engineer, industrial archaeologist, academic and consultant to the National Lottery Fund.  Recognising her importance, he purchased the vessel and it is hoped she will eventually return to cruise Scottish waters. 

In his paper 'The Reconstruction of Helen Smitton - Methods Employed to Overcome the Effects of Corrosion', Malcolm explains that when conserving or reconstructing a working vessel, he has five things uppermost in his mind:

- the safety of those who come into contact with the vessel
- conservation of the vessel's structure with minimum intervention
- long-term sustainability
- interpretation
- environmental impact of his work.

Project Detail

Problems to the vessel's main structure have been caused by the choice of her original materials, poor maintenance and amateur modifications and repairs.  The greatest problems are:

- bi-metallic corrosion to most of her iron and steel components and fastenings of her hull

- associated degradation of adjacent hull timbers below the waterline.

To increase the sustainability of the vessel, changes have been made to the fastenings used, for example: cast steel floors and wrought iron deck knees were fastened with either copper or naval brass.  Where these have been replaced, galvanised steel has been used to reduce galvanic action.

As technical problems arise during vessel reconstruction, there is a balance to be struck between using modern materials in small quantities to preserve original fabric but Malcolm does not use modern materials when traditional materials, such as white lead paste, used in her original build, are still available.

Minimum intervention to conserve as much of the original structure was employed.

View of the mild steel floors on the starboard side of the propeller tunnel. Most of these floors disintegrated when tapped with a hammer.
View of the mild steel floors on the starboard side of the propeller tunnel. Most of these floors disintegrated when tapped with a hammer.
The floors and deck support shown in Fig.3 now removed and replaced with mild steel plate coated with epoxy primer. The threaded end of the new galvanised bolts can be seen. Once the new plates have been welded to the original remaining sections around the tunnel, they will again receive numerous coatings of epoxy primer, undercoat and topcoat.
The floors and deck support shown in image above now removed and replaced with mild steel plate coated with epoxy primer. The threaded end of the new galvanised bolts can be seen. Once the new plates have been welded to the original remaining sections around the tunnel, they will again receive numerous coatings of epoxy primer, undercoat and topcoat.
Fastenings removed from the hull. The items to the left indicate how fittings that are less noble, steel and iron, can corrode whilst their fastenings of copper and bronze remain intact. The large bolt is one of ten that secures the ballast keel to the hull. The mid section has corroded away. The four fastenings, bottom right, are wrought iron bolts removed from the gunwhales.
Fastenings removed from the hull. The items to the left indicate how fittings that are less noble, steel and iron, can corrode whilst their fastenings of copper and bronze remain intact. The large bolt is one of ten that secures the ballast keel to the hull. The mid section has corroded away. The four fastenings, bottom right, are wrought iron bolts removed from the gunwhales.

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Other Projects

Here are some photos showing other projects that Malcolm has recently worked on:

"Nanouk" - a 3 ton Hillyard gaff cutter built 1932 - re-build.
Nanouk - a 3 ton Hillyard gaff cutter built 1932 - re-build
"Howard Marryat" - an RNLI 46' 9" Watson lifeboat - 2 year refit.
Howard Marryat - an RNLI 46' 9" Watson lifeboat - 2 year refit
"Boogie" - an 8' pram dinghy built in the 1960s - re-build.
Boogie - an 8' pram dinghy built in the 1960s - re-build

 

Helen Smitton arrives at St Abbs, Berwickshire, April 1910