Copyright shetlandtimes
Skerries magician “Crazy” Chris Harris has found a new custodian to take on his dream project of converting an old lifeboat and giving her a good home. When Mr Harris listed his fully enclosed lifeboat online this week - with no payment required and no strings attached - he expected a few curious messages. But he was also prepared for there to be a long wait before someone bold enough took on the exciting challenge. After all, he acknowledged, she was not just a normal lifeboat. “It was a huge, one-of-a-kind project complete with a wooden cradle, an untested engine with big dreams attached,” he said. But he has been taken aback by how quickly he was able to find a suitable new owner. “They fell in love with it just as I did originally,” Mr Harris said with a smile.The quirky capsule, once built for emergency rescues at sea, had been his dream project to convert into a unique Airbnb that would have offered guests the chance to stay inside a real lifeboat. Due to health reasons, Mr Harris had reluctantly decided to the lifeboat go, describing her as a “dry dock” project rather than a seaworthy vessel. “I’ve often looked at things online,” Mr Harris said, “cars, motorbikes, lifeboats, even the occasional fire engine. “Most of the time it was just a dream, because I didn’t have the funds to buy them. “So I wanted to give this lifeboat away to someone who could see its potential, the way I once did.”This was the same philosophy behind Mr Harris’s “Schoolhouse project” in Out Skerries, where everything was free for all guests, all of the time. “Yes, this lifeboat cost me £2,000,” he admitted, “but it was more important to find its forever home than make my money back. “Life, to me, is about giving, not taking. About being kind to everyone. And if that makes me sound crazy — well, now you know why they call me Crazy Chris.”Word spread quickly as Mr Harris’s giveaway caught the imagination of people across the islands. And in record time, the lifeboat found her new owner.“Collection has already been arranged,” Mr Harris confirmed. “All we need now is a break in the weather to move it. I’m delighted it’s going to someone who can give it a good home.”Mr Harris said the decision to let the lifeboat go was about more than clearing space. “It was about passing on a story,” he said, “and making sure that what once saved lives now inspires new memories. “You can’t get friendlier than free.” Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.
