The Floating Harbour is always full of surprises. This orange boat parked up near the Cottage pub on Friday is more surprising than most.
Does anybody know what it is?
**Update**
So it turns out that the mystery craft is in fact a lifeboat used in tankers and oil rigs that can launch at a 45-degree angle. It’s even featured in a trailer for the new Tom Hanks film ‘Captain Phillips’ – skip forward to 1.30:
That be a life boat from a much larger ship. I’d guess a tanker judging by the deluge system on it. Did it arrive with any ship wrecked seamen inside?!
Does anyone know what the black pipe on the right of the picture is for?
I think that the pipe is connected to the underfall sluices, and is / was for the discharge of silt from a dredger. Though I’ve never seen them in use, in 25 years!