THE VAST OPEN SPACES of the hull interior gradually disappear as work continues at William Osborne's yard on the internal structure of the 37' 6" Rother class lifeboat which will be RNLB Shoreline.

In the winter issue there was a photograph of work beginning on the foundations of the engine room. Figs.

1 and 2 show how this work is progressing.

At the bottom of Fig. 1 can be seen the floors in the wing compartments which carry the engine room tank top; they are of 12 mm ply, with " square mahogany fillets at their top edges—note the large air ventilation holes. Fig. 2 shows the work completed.

The tank tops between each pair of engine bearers in fact form the top of the double bottom, watertight in two halves, port and starboard. All steel work, after fitting, has to be taken out again and galvanised before it is finally fixed in place.

Figs. 3 and 4 show further stages in work to the after well. In Fig. 4 can be seen the beams which carry the after cockpit deck. Two are solid mahogany and the remainder are formed by 12 mm ply floors with 1J" mahogany fillets either side. Note once again the large ventilation holes necessary if the wooden hull is to remain in good heart and free from dry rot. In the winter issue mention was made of the laminated pad built up to strengthen the hull where holes would have to be cut for the cockpit deck relieving trunks; these rectangular trunks can now be seen in place, three each side.

While work on the wooden structure continues at William Osborne's, in a former Fleet Air Arm hangar at the old Ford Airfield, a few miles away, G. H.

Cunningham are constructing the aluminium shelter. When finished, it will be subjected to an x-ray examination, which would pick up any fault in the welded joints, as well as a visual examination by an RNLI hull overseer, before being brought to Littlehampton.

(To be continued).