MGB56
Printed From: BMPT Forum
Category: Boats (In alphabetical order)
Forum Name: Motor Gun Boats
Forum Description: Discussion on Motor Gun Boats
URL: http://www.bmpt.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=285
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 1:33pm
Topic: MGB56
Posted By: jimmy p
Subject: MGB56
Date Posted: 24 February 2007 at 8:20pm
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Heres MGB56 as she was
Heres one with the wheelhouse cut off. Early 90'c Clive?
Heres how she looks today
Pics from Clive. The years have not been kind to her Think this how she would'v looked in original trim at speed
------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
.
, please post pics if i'm wrong
Replies:
Posted By: northeastuser
Date Posted: 24 February 2007 at 9:12pm
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slowly? ------------- |
Posted By: rozm2
Date Posted: 26 February 2007 at 1:55pm
| Perhaps a quick intro inc some pictures might be good, save people having to piece it all together? |
Posted By: northeastuser
Date Posted: 26 February 2007 at 2:10pm
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Now that sounded like you were volunteering !!! Good man ------------- |
Posted By: rozm2
Date Posted: 26 February 2007 at 2:17pm
I was hoping Jimmy would do one, edit the original post so it's nicely at the top? |
northeastuser wrote:
I don't know enough about and and can't even find the photo's anymore!!Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 26 February 2007 at 3:37pm
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I recon that photo with the superstructure removed would be mid 1992. ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: northeastuser
Date Posted: 26 February 2007 at 6:03pm
I want one  ------------- |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 27 February 2007 at 12:13am
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Gets my vote for best looking boat ever built. ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: northeastuser
Date Posted: 27 February 2007 at 11:18am
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I found this on the net, I believe its one of the shorter whalebacks. If I have spoiled anyone’s copy right by posting this pic let me know and il remove it. Would that make it the same class as HSL 145?
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Posted By: S R Wilson
Date Posted: 02 March 2007 at 12:44pm
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Why are such good looking boats named after such ugly looking creatures? Retorical question please don't provide answers. Seriously though Clive what are you intending to do with her? Can she reasonably be made whole again or is it a case of seeing if there are any goood bits left? ------------- SRW "Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy" WSC. |
Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 02 March 2007 at 8:12pm
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Hi, Sentley, Who knows yet. When she sank '56 was taking on water but not too much (probably no more than any other) seeing as deterioration will only be above water level (I recon) most of the hull will be as it was when she sank, But until she is mucked out pumped out and washed down we will not know. As for Good bits, if she is not worth saving I Cant imagine there being much at all. Although I probably wont get any time I will try and pop down soon and drill a few small holes or get a hammer out to see if raising her is a waste of time. she did seem 'hard' when I whacked her with an oar! Regards, Clive.. ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: S R Wilson
Date Posted: 02 March 2007 at 8:17pm
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Hi Clive, What a wonderfully scientific way you have of testing hardness. If theres to be a "gathering" can I invite myself along as well please. Sentley. ------------- SRW "Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy" WSC. |
Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 02 March 2007 at 8:48pm
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Sentley, Indeed, before calculators (northeastuser) the 'oar' has been used in this scientific way for centuries! As for the other, the more the merrier! although I am slightly reluctant to put a date foreward as I have quite a lot of weekend work to sort before June and then MASB should be arriving, but with the evenings drawing out who knows what I can complete before schedule! As my dad says " a busy man has time for everything" ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: northeastuser
Date Posted: 02 March 2007 at 9:46pm
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Are you implying I would hit it with a calculator to check to se if its hard?
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Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 02 March 2007 at 9:51pm
I would use a calculator to see how fast a MTB would go, Faster than if i used an oar! ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: S R Wilson
Date Posted: 03 March 2007 at 9:15pm
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Surely hitting it with a calculator will be counter productive since if you hit it hard enough to check hardness the calculator will not work afterwards, or is that the test. IE if the calculator still works then the wood is too soft!! This is really taxing my brain. ------------- SRW "Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy" WSC. |
Posted By: alross2
Date Posted: 06 March 2007 at 2:23am
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B161 is a 70' Canadian Power Boat Company HSL. Al Ross
------------- Al Ross II |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 06 March 2007 at 7:19pm
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Cheers Al, Only pic i could find of a 70ft whaleback in service trim. Wheelhouse ect prob wrong. Anyone got a pic of 56 as a gunboat? ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: hslmouldings
Date Posted: 06 March 2007 at 8:33pm
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Hi Jimmy! How about this! regards Chris  ------------- Christopher |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 08 March 2007 at 7:39pm
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On the assumption that they were converted & numbered in batches i'd say thats what she looked like. Was the superstructure behind the wheelhouse the same one piece composite as the 63ft? ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: hslmouldings
Date Posted: 08 March 2007 at 9:39pm
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Hi Jimmy I made a 1:24th scale model of MGB 59 a few years back, I found that the wheelhouse was the same as the CPBco 70ft version. have a look at http://www.hslmouldings.co.uk/70ft_whaleback. - www.hslmouldings.co.uk/70ft_whaleback. I am sure I have some BPBco drawings at home as well as one for Scott-Paynes PV-1 70ft. I have several photos of the 70ft's in different versions. happy to help you! Chris ------------- Christopher |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 08 March 2007 at 10:24pm
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Nice model Chris If 56 is saveable you may get driven mad with requests for drawings ect. Dont think much going to happen there until the rain stops though. NMM reckon they got boxes of plans from Hythe but on tracing paper & very fragile(have to be redrawn as cant be photocopied) ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 19 September 2007 at 8:17pm
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The plot of land (and water) where MGB 56 lays has been sold so the problem of moving her is now not mine. (there's a bit of luck!) I recently saw her at a very low tide, she is such an amazing shape, it would be great to see some close up photos of a survivor while there are still a couple about. anyone any ideas? ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 26 February 2008 at 3:27pm
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Hi,
Just wondered what the latest situation is with MGB 56.....? Is it possible to see her? Might be good to visit her before she disappears for good. James. ------------- James |
Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 26 February 2008 at 10:15pm
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Hello James, I no longer own the plot she is sunk on, she is in the middle of a basin and only really worth looking at while the tide is low. She is an amazing thing to look at just because of the size and shape of her hull, she has beautiful lines although beyond realistic repair. my friend who was looking after the plot has moved off (today) so I don't have a boat there now. If you live near here and want to visit PM me and I will sort something out that will be better than looking across from the pub. I think Lanroc? is still afloat in Shoreham but that is pretty much it for the 70 footers and you can only see the front. It is a real shame that the most beautiful model of all coastal craft (in my opinion) are virtually extinct. (dont tell MASB '32 I said that!) ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 26 February 2008 at 10:24pm
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OOPS, forgot Pelican... ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 26 February 2008 at 10:52pm
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also, after checking (retired on the river) you can see the sides of both boats although Lanroc is probobly not much healthier than Morning Flight (56) Pelican still floated 2 years ago, I hope one of these 70 footers remains for preservation in some form or other. does anyone know wether there are there any others? ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 26 February 2008 at 11:37pm
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There's a few of the Canadian built ones, a couple still doing trips; Vancouver Spirit
http://www.accentcruises.ca/spirit.htm - http://www.accentcruises.ca/spirit.htm
Malecite
http://www.accentcruises.ca/malecite.htm - http://www.accentcruises.ca/malecite.htm
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Posted By: sailorboy185
Date Posted: 06 April 2008 at 10:24am
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This is not a boat i'm overly familair with but I must say I agree with Jim when she says it's the best looking boat ever built! What's the likely hood of getting that one in the first post back into the salty waters? As far i'm concerned we may have all come on differant ships, but we're all in the same boat now. ------------- "Where gonna need a bigger boat!" |
Posted By: clive
Date Posted: 06 April 2008 at 8:37pm
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Unfortunately the chances are slim to none. A real shame but there you go, the cost would be massive. ------------- masbie something in the water. www.freewebs.com/masb32/ |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 05 July 2011 at 1:48am
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Is this old girl still there clive? Hopefully mdl dont own basin as she'd be matchsticks. However i'm out of idea's of how to refloat a boat thats been sunk for 20yrs & has a tree growing out of her transome. Must agree, the 70ft whaleback was the best looking boat built and at least one of the 3 should be saved. I could only cobble one into a houseboat with my means but how nice would it be to see one doing 40knots again in our lifetime ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: johnk
Date Posted: 08 July 2011 at 10:28am
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Hm....yes perhaps albiet they raised the Mary Rose after a few years! newsletter from MTB 102 on the news page, reminds us as ever we have vessels up and about to think about of course,
Johnk
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Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 17 July 2011 at 10:52pm
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Too right john! If i'd won that 160 million on the lottery then there would be a warboat haven with one of each class restored including that half a dogboat over chatham. Sadly we have work within our means so an st is the biggest planing craft i can restore at mo. Although if someone has a truck & trailer to lend i can pay fuel & store bigger not far from me (poss flatpack a dead loss or two in a barn). That said, give us guys the cutty sark budget and the spirit of adelaide would sail again on a class 4 license & there'd prob be enough left to restore another coastal forces boat. MTB102, Medusa, Mr Claburns pair of beauties ect were'nt rebuilt by hiring consultants... People rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in! The paperwork has to be done but less chiefs and more indians get the job done ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 02 September 2011 at 3:41am
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Agree that the working boats need looking after but think many more could be saved without having to fill in a dozen health & safety forms first. By the time you've met criteria and paid consultants ect, you could have another on the slipway being put back together.
Most of coastal forces were lads ready to bend the rules when needed to get the job done. Timber,storage and fixings are expensive but these were built by housewives under supervision of shipwrights, many of which were illiterate but smart enough to rivet some wood together. Salvage & restoration is a lot harder when you count the hours but if you control the kerf and take a risk like the lads who crewed these boats then whats to lose? Unlike the kriegsmarine, the health & safety executive wont be firing live ammo at a salvage crew. Morning wings is a shining example of what you can do if you follow the laws of physics instead of h&s legislation. We all admire the can do attitude of the coastal forces lads. Dunno about you guys but i plan to overcome fear and oppression and put my best into saving one of these old beasties for both personal pride and a lasting memory to the naval and raf boats. We are a nation of engineers, inventors and craftsmen. If we ever forget that then we spit on the memory of Britain from agincourt to the present ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: andyht57
Date Posted: 02 September 2011 at 9:30am
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Hi Jimmy et al
I don't have much money after a painful divorce but I have tools and am a fair mechanic and joiner, I will help where I can if you need me. Andy ------------- Andy T |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 03 September 2011 at 2:29am
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Cheers Andy & may call on you if all goes well with a project in the pipeline. Reckon if we could sort materials & storage for one of these beasties at a good price then those of us inclined to do so could rebuild a hull in very good time & concentrate on finding machinery to do her justice. Now we do that with another boat after, then another until everybody's got one who puts the sweat in(no i'm not a communist). Talked to the maritime museum a while back about getting a yard that would be a historic boat haven but economics stuffed the plan. The plan is sound though if anybody knows to a bit of riverbank to put a bunch of ml's mtb's ect. Only prob i see is bigger boats mean more work but as the fleet grows who wouldn't put spare time into a dogboat.
Anyway its a nice pipe dream and only got storage for a 72footer or smaller. As coastal forces is disbanded, could we pick an unused flotilla number and go to town as civvies? Confederate air force did ok with that way of thinking ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |