Thanks to George for this news from Cowes RNLI, in his own words. Ed
It is virtually certain no other ‘Crew on Service Board’ at any of the hundreds of other RNLI lifeboat stations around the British Isles is more in tune with its particular lifeboat than the one just mounted inside the new Cowes station.
The reason: it is made from exactly the same materials incorporated in the station’s new Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Sheena Louise.
All but the hooks
The board itself has the lifeboat’s foam core, with black-painted carbon fibre on top, and the surround makes use of plywood painted in the same orange used on the lifeboat’s consul. Furthermore the board’s backing comprises the rubber used for the boat’s inflated sponson.
The only aspect of the service board not related to the lifeboat are the hooks, purchased from a local hardware store.
The purpose of the board
Such service boards are needed to indicate at a glance just which crew members were aboard a lifeboat when absent from its station, for either a rescue operation or an exercise.
Just why the material of this particular board so faithfully replicates what is on the Sheena Louise is quite simple: it was made in his spare-time by Scott Armiger, who as well as being a helm for the lifeboat is also a boat-builder at the RNLI’s East Cowes-based Inshore Lifeboat Centre, where the lifeboat was built.
The Cowes station’s lifeboat operations manager, Mark Southwell, said, “This beautifully made board really does the station proud. It has clearly been a labour of love by Scott.”
