Just seen great picture of MGB 81 attending the Poole Afloat show over the weeknd, great to see her underway at such an event, picture on the Motorboat and Yachting web-site.

JohnK

Good Afternoon

I was in Bucklers Hard last February and there was no sign of MTB81 or 102 - where do they winter or have they moved away? I witnessed the various stages of 81 being rebuilt and did cross from the Soton Boat Show years ago to Husbands.

Hi Whit57,

Welcome aboard, I too would be interested in what is happening to 81 and HSL102 I heard they were up for sale.

JohnK

Good Morning

Thanks for the reply. Both boats were in remarkably good condition and at one stage 81 was featured in Boats and Yachting monthly in competition with modern leisure craft - there was a good picture of her with 3 others at speed on the Solent(?)

Phil, the owner, seemed to break away from the BMPT - for reasons not known and took both boats away.

Let us hope that if sold - GBP700k was mentioned somewhere for 81 that she goes or has gone to a good home.

Indeed, I quite agree, it would have been nice to see through Phil's idea of a memorial "flight" of the sea,  but we shall have to see.

JohnK

Whit57 wrote: Good Morning Thanks for the reply. Both boats were in remarkably good condition and at one stage 81 was featured in Boats and Yachting monthly in competition with modern leisure craft - there was a good picture of her with 3 others at speed on the Solent(?) Phil, the owner, seemed to break away from the BMPT - for reasons not known and took both boats away. Let us hope that if sold - GBP700k was mentioned somewhere for 81 that she goes or has gone to a good home.

A few months ago HSL102 was ashore in Lymington at the Berthon Yard, she looked like she needed a good scrub but otherwise in good order, I beleive she is on their books for £385k, a much more sensible proposition for anyone condsidering restoring any military powerboat of that size.

As for MGB81, I have not seen her for a while, last time I saw her she was afloat at Saxon Wharf Southampton, I think was also for sale although I am not sure at what price.

Thanks for that, hopefully HSL would just need that good scrub as she was fully restored but time might take its toll. Really they should be under some sort of trust and for public display under way of course, but given what is happening to our marine heritage with a few honourable exceptions, that would be a pipe dream at this time I guess.

JohnK

johnk wrote: Thanks for that, hopefully HSL would just need that good scrub as she was fully restored but time might take its toll. Really they should be under some sort of trust and for public display under way of course, but given what is happening to our marine heritage with a few honourable exceptions, that would be a pipe dream at this time I guess.   JohnK

I read this forum on a regular basis, often we see pics of some very sad relic rotting quietly in a creek, only to be followed by posts of 'hope some one finds the funds to rebuild' etc etc, and yet, for a great deal less than the cost of their rebuilds both HSL102 and MGB81 wont sell.

A group of individuals needs to pull together to find the funds to purchase and operate one or both of these two.  I would have thought the BMPT was the right group but there seems not to be a move in that direction.

Hope I have not spoken out of turn.

Well...indeed that would be a great thing! I am a member of BMPT, but of course do not speak on thier behalf in any way, but as you can see from the news section, efforts to secure FMB Ark Royal have been dealt a severe blow, and at the moment they are housed, very kindly, at Marchwood base but have no mooring of thier own. IF say Hythe Marine park can give a space, though unfortunaltley it would seem no other base in the Southampton area was forthcoming, then at least that would be a base for having more vessels. If this dose come to pass, the perhaps such an effort to secure one of these vessel might be considered.Although re 81 that dose have some unfortunate history going back. I agree totally, that to restore one of the existing CF vessels which are either derilect or as a houseboat, would most likely end up at the same costs as purchasing 81 or HSL 102. I think that a private person might be interested, but apparently not to date, and that some sort of voluntary trust might be the only option. Anway, there's my ten pence worth,

Johnk

Both the H.S.L.& the M.G.B. are as far as I am aware unlikely to return to " the fold" unless somebody else buy's them as there is "history" there in regards to the purchase "misunderstanding involving the M.G.B." and B.M.P.T. not having enough in the kitty and as to whether they promised to buy it. in regards to the selling they are both specialist boats, by that I mean that Phil put them back more or less to their Service spec which means that the accommodation  is quite sparse and they would only appeal to people who are keen on this type of boat (more luxury= more weight=less speed), unless you want to cabin them up which would spoil the superb workmanship that is presently in them, for £700,000 a person could buy quite a smart tupperware bowl if they want comfort which restricts their selling potential somewhat