Orange enclosed survival boat on the water at Saltash
The boat on the Tamar before the road journey began.
The lifeboat on a lorry beneath a crane
Lifted for road transport after coming out of the water at Saltash.
The lifeboat resting on the Roof Truss Company forecourt
A temporary stop on the Roof Truss Company forecourt.

From the Tamar to Saltash

The boat was first moved from beneath the Tamar Bridge across to Saltash. Mussels and marine growth were cleaned from the hull, and the following day it was lifted from the water for the road journey west.

The lifeboat being lifted for road transport at Saltash
The lift out at Saltash before the road journey west.

A brief stop at the truss yard

The lorry could bring it as far as the Roof Truss Company, who kindly let it sit on their forecourt for a couple of days while the final move was worked out. Fresh from the Tamar, it very quickly made its presence known by smell.

The final leg

The Oliver family took over the awkward final operation. Ben Oliver coordinated the move, Lucy went ahead as the lead vehicle, Matthew drove the tractor and Darren cleared the route as the boat was brought through the narrow lanes towards Ennal’s Pool.

The lifeboat arriving by lorry on a narrow road near Trethurgy
The road transport reached Trethurgy, but not the final lake access.
The lifeboat being pulled by tractor beside the Clay Trails sign
The tractor takes over beside the Clay Trails route.
The lifeboat being guided through a narrow tree-lined lane by tractor
Branches, width and turns made the last section a much more hands-on operation.

Beside the lake

It eventually reached the clearing beside Ennal’s Pool, where it still sits on the same tractor trailer that carried it through the final part of the journey. The boat turned out to need more work underneath than first hoped, including fibreglass repairs, so restoration is waiting behind a few more pressing jobs around the site.

The lifeboat on its trailer beside Ennal's Pool
For now, a large orange point of reference beside the water - waiting its turn.

What the markings tell us

The hull markings include “ENSCO 72”, “NASSAU” and “BOAT NO 4”, together with a 48-person capacity marking. Those details give the boat a much clearer backstory.

ENSCO 72 was a self-elevating offshore drilling rig built in 1981 to a Hitachi K1025N design. Company records list its earlier names as Dan King, Ocean Benarmin and Ross Explorer before it became ENSCO 72. The rig was registered in the Bahamas with Nassau as its home port, matching the lettering still visible on the boat.

That does not yet tell us exactly when Boat No 4 was built or how long it served aboard the rig, but it strongly identifies the vessel it belonged to. ENSCO 72 worked internationally, including in the North Sea, before later changes of flag and ownership. The surviving markings turn what first looked like an anonymous enclosed lifeboat into a small piece of offshore history.

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