Harbour Service Launches
Printed From: BMPT Forum
Category: General Discussion
Forum Name: Where Are Those Boats Now
Forum Description: Tell everybody where those old boats are
URL: http://www.bmpt.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=327
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 10:17pm
Topic: Harbour Service Launches
Posted By: BoatBird
Subject: Harbour Service Launches
Date Posted: 02 May 2007 at 1:02pm
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Further to my research and uncovering the fact that Transmare isn't a Pinnace but a Harbour Service Launch (Steam), I have also discovered the whereabouts of five sister ships- some diesel.
One is now called Puffin (HSL(S)256) and can be seen at http://www.hsl256.co.uk - HSL(S)256 Built 1919. Still has a steam engine. One is apparently under restoration at Chatham Historic Dockyards. Built 1938. Believed to be steam. One is owned by the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society. HSL(S)296 is up for sale and her steam plant has been sold seperately. There is one for sale at http://www.boatshedaflmouth.com/harbour_launch-boat-22764.html - Boat Shed Falmouth Built 1959 There was also one for sale at http://www.pointfarm.co.uk/boatforsale/index.htm - Point Farm This site also has an interesting article about harbour launches Will keep you posted if I find any more! Kathryn |
Replies:
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 02 May 2007 at 7:15pm
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Hi Kathryn This is the Chatham boat; http://www.nhsc.org.uk/index.cfm/event/getVessel/vref/41 - http://www.nhsc.org.uk/index.cfm/event/getVessel/vref/41 |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 05 May 2007 at 7:01am
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Forgot there is another one on the National Register of Historic Vessels called Fiona B
http://www.nhsc.org.uk/index.cfm/event/getVessel/vref/1449 - Fiona B If you look she is listed as a pinnace but the information states she was a Harbour Service Launch |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 05 May 2007 at 7:04am
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Just found another one
http://www.nhsc.org.uk/index.cfm/event/getVessel/vref/2019 - One more Harbour Launch Okay, not five but seven!! |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 05 May 2007 at 7:13am
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Woohoo I'm not a Newbie anymore. I made it to Groupie!!!!!!
*cough cough* |
Posted By: tramontana
Date Posted: 05 May 2007 at 3:36pm
| Lovely little steam job on H.S.L.(S) 256 I will have to dig my hockey stick bearing scraper, a tin of bluey and the pig's tail packing puller's out of the shed and try and remember how to set lap&lead on the valve timing, God those picture's take me back to the late 50's. Well done Boatbird a.k.a. Groupie!!!!! |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 06 May 2007 at 6:31pm
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Have heard of another harbour launch at Burseldon too! One just arrrived there that I have just emailed the owner about, and another existing one there already!
They are piling up now On the subject of steam engines for my type of boat- I contacted http://www.prestonservices.co.uk/marine.htm - Preston Services who sell steam engines of all types.... they said a Mumford Compound engine (similar to Transmare's original and Puffins original) was 14000 GBP. oooooooh (cough cough- more than we paid for our boat between us!) |
Posted By: tramontana
Date Posted: 07 May 2007 at 4:36pm
| Boatbird, I have just had a look at Preston Services, as a former Chief Engineer on steam jobs I am amazed that there is still so much of it still around, I thought it was all scrapped years ago and the only stuff now available was newbuild. |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 08 May 2007 at 3:20pm
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Tramontana
I was totally surprised to find an engine that could have been in our boat originally! Like you, I thought once taken out they were sold for scrap and melted down. Just goes to show what you can find over the internet these days! Preston Services are very nice guys too- although they do kind of think that we are restoring our boat to original condition and might buy that engine...... |
Posted By: tramontana
Date Posted: 08 May 2007 at 4:00pm
| Ah, the romance of steam and that distinctive smell of black oil and graphite, keep away from it they can be hard work and you have to be careful to keep all your fingers!! |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 09 May 2007 at 12:38pm
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Weird sin't it- I was always fascinated by steam engines when I was little- but I went for the wheeled variety back then- loved steam trains and still do.... Never thought I'd end up owing a steam boat!!!!!! (ok, no steam engine but its the thought that counts!) |
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 09 May 2007 at 1:23pm
| There must be a long, long queue of men waiting to marry girls from wherever it is you're from. Where do I put my name down? |
Posted By: johnk
Date Posted: 09 May 2007 at 1:54pm
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Now now Christian! you and Billy are as bad as each other!
John |
Posted By: tramontana
Date Posted: 09 May 2007 at 5:21pm
| Christian, a lot of the old steam men can only order four and a half pints with their right hand or only four if they have lost their thumb whilst checking the bottom end bearing temp when the engine is running fortunatly I was taught the art of doing it and can still order the full five, although I did crush the end of one Chief's highly prized oil can when I first went to sea, he had owned it for over 25yrs and he was not happy at all, that cost me a lot of drink's, he did get over it eventually and helped me with my ticket work. |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 7:33am
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Christian wrote:Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 7:39am
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Actually, I have always blamed my dad for the steam train thing- train thing in general- Dad's a gricer (train spotter) although i have to say he doesn't take it to extremes- no weekends sitting on stations in anoraks!!!
Apparently when I was a toddler and the Deltics were still going (diesel engines) I would stand at the end of Doncaster station and yell 'give it some welly!' (while wearing a blue mac and red wellies...)to the train drivers..... I've been in most modern train cabs- being a girlie gets you into some odd places at times... Was one of only three female members of the school train club- other two were my best friend and the daughter of the teacher that ran the club! Oh dear. cough cough happy times!!!!! |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 10 May 2007 at 8:09am
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Oh- and in case you were wondering... Deltics were Class 55 trains ie numbered 55008 for example.
And why are they relevant here???? Because they were powered by Napier engines  Nothing comes close to the sound of a Deltic- trust me!
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Posted By: S R Wilson
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 3:00pm
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And as a former chairman and now life member of The Deltic Preservation Society I know exactly what you are talking about! 2 deltics on full song at approx 100 mph has to be heard to be believed. ------------- SRW "Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy" WSC. |
Posted By: northeastuser
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 4:21pm
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john , by billy do you mean me? if so how did i get a name as a flirt(i am but how did you know?) ------------- |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 11 May 2007 at 6:16pm
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Think I missed this one for sale on Apollo Duck
http://houseboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=50795 - 1939 Harbour Launch |
Posted By: marksaab
Date Posted: 12 May 2007 at 11:39am
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Wow thats a lot of boat for £17K!! Very seriously tempted...but want to sell Pandora first putting her on Boats for Sale next week. M ------------- Only yield when you must, never "give up the ship," but fight on to the last "with a stiff upper lip!" |
Posted By: johnk
Date Posted: 12 May 2007 at 7:51pm
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Hi All, Indeed, a lot of boat for 17 grand! hope as ever she goes to another good home.
John |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 7:00am
| That's around the price we paid for Transmare who (still) needs a lot of work doing to her! |
Posted By: tramontana
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 11:42am
| I have to agree about the girlie thing, when my daughter was a young ster she alway's managed to charm her way onto thing's or into area's not mormally accessable, with me tagging behind of course! Napier Deltic's had a nice exhaust sound to them from what I can remember, although the one's I worked on were on a Ton Class around the 1960's and every time we opened them up you had to duck out of the way as large lumps of carbon would fly out of the stack after the engine's had a period of slow running. They were fine when they were working but pig's when not, the starting proceedure had to be strictly adhered to before banging them off with the cartridge start which is most probably why I spent most of my time on Steam job's until I had to go back to oil engine's when steam more or less disappeared off the ocean's, but it will come back! |
Posted By: Pioneer
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 11:49am
Although not really pertinant to this site or Topic - BR used to leave the class 55's running at Kings Cross shed - because of the problems restarting once stopped. Happy Day's ------------- Pioneer - Forum Moderator |
Posted By: tramontana
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 11:52am
| Did B.R. use cartridge starters or the electric motor as a starter |
Posted By: BoatBird
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 12:05pm
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Pass- here's a link about the engines
http://www.answers.com/topic/napier-deltic - Napier Deltic engines Unfortunately I can't find a link to the sounds the engine makes- you'll have to take our word for it! |
Posted By: Pioneer
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 12:07pm
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I do believe that they used both - there were two classes that used the Deltic - the famous 55's and a 'Baby Deltic' that used just one engine on a Bo-Co chassis ------------- Pioneer - Forum Moderator |
Posted By: David Earle-Pay
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 3:28pm
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To hear the sound of the Deltic, go to the site http://www.answers.com/topic/napier-deltic - http://www.answers.com/topic/napier-deltic then click on the link to Deltic animations at the bottom of the page. (don't have the volume too high!) ------------- David Earle-Payne Make it idiot proof, and then someone will make a better idiot! |
Posted By: S R Wilson
Date Posted: 13 May 2007 at 5:26pm
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In the clas 55s they were started on an eletric starter after hand priming by baring them over first. The baby deltic was never a sucess. It was the tractive effort to weight ratio of the class 55s that made them so sucessfull, that and the fact that they were effectivly self rescuing as it was unusual for both units to fail at the same time. I also remember getting an ear bashing from "the domestic authority" because we were stood at the side of 55015 Tulyar when the throttel was opened and the nice new white top became a spotted white top. That really did cost! Pushback, thanks for the info about the plans. Billy will find them helpfull and I am determined after recent events, that 506 will come back and be restored to service condition; but the first thing is to get the surveyor to pass her for the trip to the UK. Billy has really got his work cut out for that and largly on his own. Like I keep saying if anyone wants to go for a working holiday at their own expense he has accomodation avaliable and will be happy to see you there, just let us know when you are going. ------------- SRW "Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy" WSC. |
Posted By: tramontana
Date Posted: 14 May 2007 at 1:39pm
| SR Wilson, when you mean electric starter does that mean using the generator as the starter and then switching back to generation? |