DURING A REGULAR inspection at Tenby in 1978 the RNLI's consulting engineers. Lewis and Duvivier. found that since their previous triennial upkeep and maintenance inspection many of the timber piles of the lifeboat house had deteriorated unexpectedly, making the substructure unsafe. As a precaution the boat was moored afloat and the boathouse closed while the extent of the reinstatement work that would be necessary was investigated.

If the boathouse itself was not to be disturbed, it would mean building up a new substructure before the old decayed timber was cut away.

Recommendations were submitted to the Institution in June 1979 and, following its approval, competitive tenders were obtained. The contract wasawarded to Miller Engineering and Construction Ltd and work started last October.

Essentially the contract was divided into three sections: the underpinning of the existing boathouse; the replacement of the existing access bridge; and the renewal of the top 40 metres of the keelway.

Substructure If the work was to be done over the winter period, it was essential to drive the piles to support the boathouse's new substructure during the spring tides of October 3 to 10. Working through both day and night low tides, six 600mm diameter tubular steel piles were driven on each side of the boathouse.

Both the contractor and the residents of Tenby are to be congratulated on the successful completion of this phase of the work by October 7 without any complaints.

The new substructure of the boathouse was formed from galvanised steel section columns and bracing members made in Derby. During the winter they were gradually bolted together on Tenby beach, moved to the lifeboat station and then erected at low tide. The operation of erecting the transverse members called for great skill by both the erection gang and the crane driver because the sections had to be threaded between the existing timber work. The bolting together of the steel frames was successfully accomplished without damaging the existing supports and underpinning of the boathouse, and replacement of.