Even more on the Lagos Pilot Boat I have been following the letters on the Lagos pilot boat with interest. This is partly because the Queen was originally propelled by water jets and the photograph with Mr Powell's letter in the Autumn edition of the journal would tend to suggest a boat with twin screws.

The late lifeboat historian Grahame Farr's paper on steam lifeboats, published in 1981, gives details of a steam lifeboatcum- pilot boat built specifically for service in Lagos in 1905, named Molesey. She was twin screwed and powered, originally at least, by a Yarrow water tube type of boiler.

The boat appears to have been very similar in appearance to the Queen although there were some subtle differences, including the possible presence of a telegraph to the right of the wheel.

My father, Gwyn, was a traffic manager with Elder Dempster in Lagos in 1958 and recalls a telegraph. Indeed, there is a sailor standing in this position in Mr Powell's photograph.

Another twist to the story is that Tony Denton's book on ex lifeboats states that the Queen was sold to Secondi, Ghana in 1924.

Perhaps this is how confusion may have arisen as it would seem likely to me that the boat at Lagos was in fact the Molesey.

I am hoping to construct a short article for the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society newsletter on the subject. If any reader can shed any more light on the matter I would be pleased to hear from them.

A.R. Pari Huws, 1 Harborne Drive, Spital, Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside L63 9HFConcerning the letters in the Summer and Autumn issues 'Where is the Queen', I send you a picture of the pilot tender in Lagos, Nigeria. It was taken in April 1970 while I was serving on the Dutch Shell tanker Acmaea. Notice the pilot descending the ladder! So in 1970 the Queen (?) was still in service.

In the book The Lifeboat Service by Oliver Warner there is a photograph of the real Queen and when I look at the details I must agree with Mr Powell - the pilot tender of Lagos is the Queen. The bull-eyes seems to be larger but I think it is easier to enlarge them than repairing the possible rust damage.

I am more than interested in the Queen and the Duke of Northumberland because of their propulsion systems (hydraulic). I am the mechanic of the Dutch lifeboat Beursplein 5 stationed on the island of Texel and am very interested in the technical side of the 'good old boats'. Do you or your readers have more information about these boats for me? Our lifeboat is hydraulical driven by Hamilton water jets. The speed is over 30 knots. Our experiences with this kind of propulsion are really great and that in all kinds of weather. D.A. Kruk, Krimweg 102,1795 LS De Cocksdorp, Holland..