Birds Eye | National Historic Ships

Registration number 2210

Status Registered

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Details

Function Service Vessel

Subfunction Lifeboat

Location Moelfre

Vessel type Oakley 37 ft Lifeboat

Current use Museum based

Available to hire No

Available for excursions No

Construction

Builder Osborne, William, Littlehampton

Built in 1970

Rig None

Number of decks 1

Propulsion Motor

Number of engines 1

Primary engine type Diesel

Boiler type None

Boilermaker None

Dimensions

Breadth: Beam

11.51 feet (3.51m)

Length: Overall

36.98 feet (11.28m)

History

Built by William Osborne at Littlehampton in 1970. BIRDS EYE wsa based at New Quay, Cardigan until 1990. Launched 76 times and saved 40 lives.

Birds Eye Frozen Foods had a scheme in 1969 whereby if you purchased fish fingers you could return the vouchers on the packet to the company who would then put money towards buying a lifeboat. The Birds Eye is the result of this scheme. She was put into service at RNLI New Quay in mid Wales in 1970 and served there until 1990 when she was de-commissioned. The company requested that she be housed in a museum and as a result of this she was brought to Moelfre and craned into the building before the roof was put on. The building is now the responsibility of the RNLI and Birds Eye is still the main attraction.

BIRDS EYE is an Oakley Class lifeboat and her service number is 37-25. This means she is 37ft long and was the 25th Oakley to be built and put into service for the RNLI. Her condition is very good although she wouldn’t be watertight these days as she is drying out. She has twin engines.

On display at Moelfre Sea Watch Center from May 1991.