In executing the job, my early experience of all sorts of handiwork came serviceably to my aid.

After many a whole night's work--for the evenings alone were not sufficient for the purpose--I at length completed my model; and triumphantly and confidently took it to sea in an open boat; and then cast it into the waves.

The model either rode over them or passed through them; if it was sometimes rolled over, it righted itself at once, and resumed its proper attitude in the waters.
After a considerable trial I found scarcely a trace of water inside.
Such as had got there was merely through the joints in the sliding hatches; though the ventilators were free to work during the experiments.
I completed the prescribed drawings and specifications, and sent them, together with the model, to Somerset House.

Some 280 schemes of lifeboats were submitted for competition; but mine was not successful.
I suspect that the extreme novelty of the arrangement deterred the adjudicators from awarding in its favour.

Indeed, the scheme was so unprecedented, and so entirely out of the ordinary course of things, that there was no special mention made of it in the report afterwards published, and even the description there given was incorrect.