Former Rnli Barmouth Lifeboat The Chieftain. Liverpool Class. Restored

The Chieftain. Asking Price £27,000. Lying Newport, South Wales. Could be brought to Bristol for viewing. She is also listed on Apollo Duck where you will find more photographs.

Former Barmouth lifeboat – 1949 to 1982. Saved 132 lives.The Chieftain is a twin-screw Liverpool Class lifeboat. Very few of these vintage vessels exist. Technical information:35’ 6” x 10’ 8”Weight 7.4 tonsDraught: forward 20”, aft 30”Double skin mahogany, the planks being laid diagonally, the outer skin in the opposite direction to the inner.Internal framework is English oak and mahogany, secured with copper and bronze fasteningsTwin Beta diesel enginesCruising speed 6 knotsTop speed 7.5 knotsFuel consumption 1.5 gallons per hour at 5.5 knots approxRecent filming of her https://www.youtube.com/watch? V=Z2j_12qZxWA&feature=youtu.beThe Chieftain was purchased by the current owner in 2004, and was extensively renovated.

She is entirely original, except for the twin Beta diesel engines fitted in 2010. The decision was made to replace the original Perkins engines as the owner wanted to use the vessel extensively so needed reliable and economic engines.She is stored under cover during the winter months. The engines are winterised. Every Spring the hull is sanded and painted and the woodwork is sanded and varnished. She is kept in immaculate condition and maintained to the highest standard.AccommodationThese lifeboats have no accommodation due to the purpose to which they were used.

However, I have fitted a single-berth cabin with sea toilet in the fore-peak which is accessed via a small door. She has a custom-built canvas enclosure over the cockpit which can remain in situ while underway to provide protection from the weather, or can be removed when authenticity is required. I have used this to sleep in during family holidays. (The large fore-deck has also been covered with canvas to create a tent for longer stays)She is an extremely sea-worthy vessel, having attended numerous lifeboat days, station anniversaries and naming ceremonies around the coast, fundraising for the RNLI. She featured on the ITV series Ade at Sea in 2014, has been used on many occasions for photo shoots, music videos, and as a wedding boat in Bristol HarbourThere are a number of highlights:In 2011 she was taken ‘home’ to Barmouth where she was met by former crew members.

It was an emotional reunion for those who served on her. Many remembered the first time they saw her coming over the bar in Barmouth, and commented that she now looked exactly as she did that day in 1949. In 2012 she was taken from Bristol to London by sea, so she could participate in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. She returned from London to Bristol via the inland waterways system. To my knowledge she is the only RNLI lifeboat to have ever made this circuit.

I have an extensive record of her history, which includes photographs, newspaper cuttings and correspondence between Barmouth lifeboat station and the RNLI during the time she was in service. This will all be included in the sale. The Chieftain is a real head-turner, equally at home on the sea or on inland waterways. For this reason she is a unique vessel. Her large open deck, originally intended for survivors, means she could be used as a trip boat.

She will easily take to the ground, and her shallow draught means she can be beached.