RNLI Lifeboat Station

In 2007 the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) decided to introduce an inshore lifeboat service at Dartmouth to serve the River Dart and surrounding coast.
 

Allan Bloomfield, RNLI Deputy Shore Works Manager, searched for a suitable supplier for a timber building.  He found the John Shields Woodwork website and made contact.

After visiting our premises and seeing samples, he was happy to ask for a quotation.

Allan said “We had received cheaper quotes, but the RNLI needs to consider the quality of any product very carefully too.”
An order was then placed for an insulated building 19m long x 7.5m wide, to be split into boat house and crew room.

Together with architect Steve Blakeman, John Shields produced a final design working from the RNLI specification and meeting current Building Regulations.  The building had to be painted in RNLI colours of blue and white with a black roof.  A roller shutter door, 4.2m wide x 2.5m high was required to enable the lifeboat, towed by tractor and trailer, to exit as swiftly as possible and allow effective recovery back into the station after the search and rescue.