314 REPORT—1857. 
ments that may be introduced in the fishing-boats, the opinions and even 
prejudices of those who risk their lives, and have practical experience, should 
have due consideration. 
‘There not being time to go into the details of dimensions as shown-in the 
first four columns, it will be useful to state shortly their relative properties 
under the following heads :—The proportion is shown by the ratio of the 
length and depth to the breadth in the 5th and 6th columns. The 7th 
column shows the external bulk in cubic feet to the height of the gunwale 
or deck. The 8th and 9th columns show the least draught of water, 
and the 10th column shows the area of the midship section, the principal 
elements of resistance combined with displacement. The 11th column is 
the angle of rise of floor, as shown in the Diagram of Sections. The 16th 
column records extra buoyancy, showing their capabilities as life-boats ; and 
the cost, an important object in fishing-boats. 
A view of this comparative analysis of the proportions of twelve life- boats 
and ten fishing-boats shows considerable difference in their proportions, 
form and fitting. Their size, bulk, or capacity for burthen, seem to have 
little reference to the cost. The Scotch fishing-boats (Buckie) of 1851 cubic 
feet bulk, cost only £60; while an English boat (Deal) of 1478 feet bulk, 
costs £275. 
The lines of the Masula boat and Greathead’s may be said to represent 
the type of the original lite-boats in Asia and Europe—the Masula boat on the 
Madras coast being the oldest, cheapest, and probably the best. It is a flat, 
broad boat, built of light timber, sewed together in broad strakes, its only 
fittings being brushwood in the bottom; it goes through a very heavy surf 
on a steep beach. Greathead’s represents the life-boats of the last century. 
The three next lines represent the special life-boats, elaborately fitted with 
valves and platform, including the Shields boat, Mr. Beeching’s Prize Model, 
and Mr. Peake’s first boat, altered at Woolwich in 1851-52. 
The five next represent the light or ship’s life-boats of Mr. George Palmer, 
M.P.; Costain of Liverpool; Francis of America; White of Cowes; and A. 
Henderson’s ship’s life-boat. The 11th line details the peculiarities of 
Beeching’s Prize Model boats, which after several upsets, two drowning their 
crews at Lytham and Rhyl, have been removed from all the stations, or have 
had their fittings altered. That at Lytham is now replaced by one of the 
new boats built on Mr. Peake’s principle. 
The peculiarities of Mr. Beeching’s Prize Model and the causes of failure 
are further explained by a diagram of midship sections and fittings appended 
to this Report. 
The 13th line gives the dimensions of Peake’s life-boats of 1856, with all 
the improvements in the fittings, obtained from the experience of some forty 
boats, built for the National Life-Boat Institution, and the necessary removal 
of Beeching’s Prize Model fittings from all the life-boats under the control 
of the Committee of Naval Officers, who awarded the prize to the models in 
1851. A detailed specification, section, body and sheer plan of these com- 
plete coast life-boats is appended to this Report. 
The 12th line gives the details of Henderson’s Fishermen’s life-boat, built 
at Liverpool in 1852, with experimental alterations made in 1853 and 1854, 
after trials on the coast by fishermen as to rig and fitting ; the improvements 
being mainly the adaptation of the Chinese system of stretchers to the lug 
sails now used on our coasts, with moveable step to the mast, so extensively 
used by Chinese fishing-boats. There is also an iron drop-keel, as used in 
American boats. The proportions and forms of the boat are a modification 
of those of the Shetland fishing-boat and Yorkshire cobble. 
