BMPT Forum Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > General Discussion > Where Are Those Boats Now
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Royal Canadian Navy Fairmiles
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Royal Canadian Navy Fairmiles

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234 5>
Author
Message
Fraser View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 17 July 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 5
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fraser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 October 2006 at 1:12am
And HAIDA, the last Tribal destroyer, at Hamilton. Also DIAMANTINA, the last frigate, in Australia, who also seem to have the last Bangor M/S which they call a corvette but is a Bangor Cl. for sure.
FMM
Back to Top
Christian View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 17 June 2005
Location: Gibraltar
Status: Offline
Points: 775
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Christian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 October 2006 at 8:23am

Hi K225 and Fraser

Marc-Andre is very happy about this news concerning his family's old boat (he has sent me the above picture dating back to those days). He says she will be returning to her birthplace (she was built by Mac-Craft in Sarnia) and also mentions that she will most likely be used for Sea-Cadets training, which I hope means she will be kept afloat for most of the year thus further extending her amazing life so far (Duxford/MTB71 & Hendon/RTTL2757 take note!).

Regards,Christian. 



Edited by Christian
Back to Top
K225 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 02 October 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote K225 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 October 2006 at 12:33pm

I took this photo in May of this year while sailing in the San Juans. Gypsy Queen was moored in La Conner Washington. Lines sure look familiar.

http://www.subcommittee.com/SubComm/images/photos/gypsyqueen .JPG

 



Edited by K225
She'd roll on wet grass!
Back to Top
Christian View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 17 June 2005
Location: Gibraltar
Status: Offline
Points: 775
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Christian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 October 2006 at 2:03pm

Hi K225

I think that resembles an ex US Coast-Guard cutter, possibly an 83ft Wheeler? She looks a little too short, the stem a little plumb and the aft quarters seem to have some tumblehome, so unlikey to be a Fairmile. Whereabouts in Canada are you? perhaps we can give you the locations of the closest survivors (Vancouver seems to be the hotspot).

Regards,Christian.

Back to Top
K225 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 02 October 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote K225 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 October 2006 at 3:59pm

Hi Christian

I'm in Ottawa every year we have been chartering out of Victoria so travel to the west coast at least once a year. I will keep watching.

 

She'd roll on wet grass!
Back to Top
K225 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 02 October 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote K225 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 October 2006 at 9:27pm

Just recieved the following which confirms your comments Christian:

Hello

We have donated the Duc d' Orleans to the local-area Sea Cadet organization.
They have plans to take her out of the water and restore her to the original
war-time design. It will (hopefully) be a permanent attraction along
Sarnia's waterfront.

Jim Bracewell
Duc d' Orleans

We can only wish them well in the preservation.

Steve



Edited by K225
She'd roll on wet grass!
Back to Top
K225 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 02 October 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 9
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote K225 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 February 2007 at 12:43am

Just found this posted on the Manitoba Naval Museum lets hope someone steps up.

Our branch of the Navy League (RCSCC Vanguard) was looking at Q105 with some interest, but decided, upon inspection, that she would be too costly to restore and make safe for cadet training. A shame, as she could take quite a few cadets to "sea" for some good seamnship training, especially as Haida is now off limits for cadet training.

We would be very pleased if Q105 were preserved by the Halifax Naval Museum as she would then be the only Fairmile B to be saved. However, we are still trying to bring LtCdr Tony Law's boat back to Canada, the last survivor of the 29th Canadian MTB Flotilla, MTB 486. Just a few weeks ago we were able to confim absolutley that the houseboat Sungo on the Itchen in Southampton is definately MTB 486, and we shall be shortly applying for a Moveable Cultural Property Grant from the federal government. 486 would be an extremely valuable addition to any naval museum in Canada.

She'd roll on wet grass!
Back to Top
Fraser View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 17 July 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 5
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fraser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 February 2007 at 1:31am
RCSCC Vanguard is a Corps in Toronto. As an ex-President of the Navy League, I'd be worried about the costs too. The League in most cases, locally and Nationally, just has enough $$ to keep going, without several thousand needed to restore a Fairmile; unless some ex-Fairmile businessman in the gold mining business would take it on in fond memory. Problem is that's over 60 years ago. A grant for Law's boat is a possibility, but the on-going is always the problem, eh?
Fraser
FMM
Back to Top
johnk View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 25 March 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1355
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 February 2007 at 8:28am

Hi All,

 

Very interested to read about the above, a ex-sea cadet corps person myself!, got latest issue of Ship's Monthly yesterday, bumper section on ship preservation, many great ships and vessels and sad bit on ones now lost to us. But small piece and photo of Sungo talking about her going back to Canada, which I do hope comes off. As FMM quite rightly says, and talked about by many on the site, its the subsequent up-keep that costs. Be great to run the vessel but as the Canadian SCC found, certainly with cadets these days its not easy and cetainly for passengers in general with new regs etc. All the best for now,

 

John

Back to Top
CCFT View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 10 February 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 16
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CCFT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 February 2007 at 9:15pm

Toronto

9 Feb 07

 

Hello Gentlemen,

 

I discovered thus forum yesterday via a link from the Naval Museum of Manitoba discussion forum.  It is with great interest I have read the emails concerning existing MLs.  The email concerning the RCSCC Vanguard was posted by me and resulted from a discussion with a member of our Navy League branch (I am currently the Executive Officer of Vanguard).

 

In regards to MTB 486, I am also a founding member of the Canadian Coastal Forces Trust (please see the Motor Torpedo Boats forum for an ongoing discussion there) and was very surprised to discover that there is an article about our efforts in Ships Monthly as we have had no contact with them (although we are very pleased about the publicity).  Our intention for MTB 486 is to pass over ownership to a museum in Canada for her to be a static display, but hopefully one that will allow people on board her – The Naval Museum of Alberta have expressed an interest, and even have an exhibit hall they could put her in.  We fall in the middle of the vintage aircraft debate about flying vs static displays and thus would like to obtain and own a second functioning example of one of these MTBs.  At 71.5 feet (vs 112’ for a Fairmile B), it would be certainly somewhat more feasible,  We would also not be putting Packards into the functioning MTB, but would opt for engines that were safer (regarding fuel volatility) and more economical.

 

A boat we would like to get is MTB 506/Ambra, which Captain Morgan Tours of Malta is trying to dispose of and which has been offered to us for free.  Our problems with this offer, however, include ascertaining if she is still seaworthy for a trip back to the UK, whether she could travel via the French canals (which is how the 1st MTB Flotilla reached Malta before WWII), where to keep her in the UK while we are trying to raise the $40 000 US to have her shipped across the Atlantic (which is only half the next best quote we have been able to obtain) and whether Captain Morgan will hold on to her until the July, which is the soonest we could even think of sailing her to Britain.  They just scuttled Raia, another WWII MTB that they owned, and may do the same with 506/Ambra if the wait is too long.

 

In regards to the post concerning other surviving RN WWII warships, HMS Windrush, a River Class frigate up on the beach near Cherbourg as a fire training ship, is to be scrapped this year, and the fate of HMS Zenith, the last emergency war Z Class destroyer is up in the air.  She is virtually intact in her WWII configuration and is currently in Alexandra harbour, Egypt.  There were plans underfoot to save HMS Wimprel, the last Black Swan Class sloop (also in Alex, also virtually untouched) and take her to Liverpool as the UK’s Battle of the Atlantic memorial.  Any news on that?  Incidentally, the two ‘sweepers preserved in Australia are Bathurst Class, like a cross between a Banger and an Algerine.

 

To JohnK, can you tell me if the article about our trust is in the February edition of Ships Monthly?  If so. It will reach Canadian shelves in about another two weeks.  Thanks.

 

Our web page can be found at www.CanadianCoastalForces.com.

Lt(N) Nicholas CM Armstrong
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234 5>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down