Web search shows much irrelevantia including many metaphorical uses of the word, e.g. a help site for alcoholics (no relevance, since I am teetotal).

Search in Yahoo's list of email groups shows nothing useful. A Yahoo group called 'rnli' looked useful, but it proved to be flooded with spam.

I found no useful information in Wikipedia.

Does anyone know of a ship and boat related forum?

At the last resort, do you know of such a boat in Liverpool/Preston/Chester/etc in England that I can go to and examine including its inside?

You should look for 'Lifeboat manufacturers-freefall' on Google

p

Have you tried any patent offices?

I have tried web searching.

Patent offices have infinitillion patents to have to wade through.

I suspect that what I need is a good web forum about ships and boats.

i could help you search if you'd like.  Any clues i should go by?

A good web forum about ships and boats, is likeliest what I need.

OK i'll start searching.  The last three days of rain have played hell on my phone lines though.  Phones pretty much dead and internet cuts in and out.  So i may not be able to get back with ya til after tea time.

Quote - Web search shows much irrelevantia including many metaphorical uses of the word, e.g. a help site for alcoholics (no relevance, since I am teetotal).

Do an image search, that way you can see at a glance whether a link is useful. If there's no orange boat in the picture, don't click the link. Narrow your search and keep narrowing it until you get nothing, then broaden it.

Search for "TELB" or "Totally enclosed lifeboat" or "free fall lifeboat" and  interior or section

Any of the above searches turn up masses of links, including line drawings and a few interior shots.

Try this

http://www.gepafiberglass.com/products_lifeboats_totallyenclosed_G-F3K.asp

The only forums i found were military in nature.

Attached Link: http://www.towage-salvage.com/files/Lifeboat-Manuel.pdf

Attached link is to "MANUAL FOR OPERATION, MAINTENANCE AND TRAINING FOR FREEFALL LIFEBOATS" which was on the first page of results of a search for "Lifeboat manufacturers freefall".

Several nice cutaway and interior diagrams.

LOL!  Nruddock,  most high google master i bow before you in reverence.

Saw some sad news though,  there not going to build a new HMS Ark Royal.

Attached Link: http://www.defencemanagement.com/news_story.asp?id=16185

I wouldn't be so sure about that, it's one of those names that they'll find a way to keep in service some how.

Best news i've heard all spring,  Nruddock!  i just wish i could see her again.  First time i saw her was in Portsmouth,  1984.  She was still on shakedown before her commissioning.  i looked out on the horizon didn't see a thing,  turned back to powerwashing the trucks and soaking British officers with my firehose.  Well when they came and hauled me off,  i turned to look again and there she was 5 kilometers out.  i mean almost as if she came out of nowhere to say hi my name is Ark Royal may i join you.  i was amazed by how beautiful and intelligent she is.  Still am.   i just wish my dad and uncle Jim could have met her.  i think they would've been quite impressed and understood how this yank could fall in love with her.

Likely the UK government is rethinking some of the defence cuts :: theyt plan all those cuts, and then the Middle East goes up in flames again.

Attached Link: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/25/libya_analysis/

No point in bringing the old carriers back, they scrapped the Harriers that flew off them, and they're too short for anything else.

is that why you all are going with the Queen Elizabeth Class?

Attached Link: http://www.poserdirect.com/images/printfolio/big/theark1024.jpg

link above and ...

http://www.poserdirect.com/gallery/photographic/index.asp

Local paper said over 11,00 people showed up to say goodbye. Most people queued for over 4 hours in freezing weather and they had to turn away another estimated 2000 on both days.

Also on that page are shots of Manchester, Illustrious and Endurance. Sailing through at twilight with a bit of fog, felt like being a graveyard. Which I'd guess as most of these are either mothballed, or ready for the scrapper, is pretty accurate.

Thank you.  She looks so beautiful right there with the HMS Victory awaiting her send off.  There will never be another Lady like her.

i'm glad that they're building two new carriers.  i think more are needed though.  In my opinion,  one carrier task force is more effective in the war on terror than an army corps.

If you deploy an army corp against a group of terrorist,  all you are doing is feeding the terrorists illusions of granduer.  If you deploy a carrier task force against the terrorist you're putting terror into them.

Thank you.

No probs

There will never be another Lady like her.

Not now Illustrous is gone as well.

*i'm glad that they're building two new carriers. *

Kinda. 1 carrier will only operate for three years, but will never have any planes, then sold. Because its cheaper to keep building it than compensate the companies making it.

The second one won't carry planes until at least 2020, because the F35 isn't ready. Plus as the semi-VOTL F35 won't be built they've had to extend the flight decks and add catapults, so it's so gone seriously overbudget.

If you deploy an army corp against a group of terrorist,  all you are doing is ..

Dunno about that - but the way are going if I ever need a model of our flagship , I'd ask Anthony to make a 1 oared, leaking, rowing boat :)

BTW - talking of bad guys, if you've not seen it before, theres a freebie poser model of osmas house if you click the banner below.

BTW - talking of bad guys, if you've not seen it before, theres a freebie poser model of osmas house if you click the banner below.

Did you put a bathroom in it with him sitting on the toilet taking a round from a kilometer away?

The two carriers will be good for coastal operations.  Next four though they may want to consider 80k to 100k ton displacement.  The far east is a stretch.  Wouldn't be the first time the US and UK has had to combine naval operations,  either. 

i wonder how many americans know about Churchill and Roosevelts meeting at sea and the assault on Hitler's weather station in Iceland by US Marines that followed.  Or that the USS North Carolina's first mission was to join up with the HMS Rodney and hunt the bismarck.  All done prior to dec 7.

Course,  given the general mission of a country's navy i guess they would be more inclined to covert operations than the other branches.  Maybe that is why we have the "Order of the Button."

"Order of the Button." ?

Hi Anthony,

Here's a news clip with some interior shots-scroll ahead to about 50 seconds...

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4163884/inside-look-at-oil-rig-lifeboats

Just saw the price tag on the F35.  Wow!

Hi there,

well I CAN give you as many pictures as you want and whatever part you need - I've been on board for 2 months already (m/v kota ekspres - btw you can se some pictures of her on the net:) - and I have access to all manuals and particulars of these lifeboats.

There is only one problem - internet access - so I cannot guarantee these pictures right away - but once we are in singapure (about 24th of may) I will have a connection for about 24 hours so then I can send all stuff you want.

Today we are sailnig in few hours so I can check this thread tomorrow (qingdao - china - I should have some signal there) and see if you are interested.

i'm glad to see there is still cooperation between the US Navy and the Royal Navy.