Name Tillie Morrison Sheffield

TILLIE MORRISON was built as a carriage-launched self-righting lifeboat by J Samuel White of Cowes in 1947 and served at Bridlington (1947-1952) and Llandudno (1953-1959).  During her service in Llandudno, Tillie was launched 17 times and saved eight lives, and was able to carry 30 survivors together with her crew of eight.

Of the early RNLI lifeboats stationed in Llandudno, TILLIE MORRISON is the only one remaining; she was the first RNLI self-righting motor lifeboat with twin engines, and twin propellers.

She was then sold out of service to become first a yacht (IMSHI) at Bristol and then a fishing vessel  at Rhyl.  As ELIZABETH she was based on the Tyne and Hartlepool before returning to North Wales in 2014.

In July 2014, following a public appeal for funds, the Llandudno-based social enterprise Ships’ Timbers discovered TILLIE MORRISON, as an abandoned fishing vessel in Hartlepool, and bought her.  She was then brought back to North Wales, and has since been kept within an open area of hard standing at Deganwy Marina.

Ships’ Timbers aim is to restore TILLE MORRISON to her original form as a former RNLI lifeboat, and estimate an approximate restoration cost of between £50-70,000.  As a fully restored early wooden RNLI lifeboat, she will be a tourist attraction, and provide an opportunity for people to learn about RNLI wooden boat construction, and the service history of the vessel. A condition survey will be carried out, to provide restoration options for the vessel.  Plans for TILLIE MORRISON include: her engines being taken to Coleg Llandrillo’s (Llandrillo College)'s Rhyl site, and kept on display for the students to learn about; Costing the restoration of the vessel, explore funding options, and begin to seek funds; Deciding the conservation option for the vessel and planning the conservation programme as a grassroots project; Opening an exhibition space at Bodafon Farm Park with interpretation boards.