Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Mr Bumble on November 18, 2020, 01:09:58 pm
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Afternoon Captain & Crew.... :-))
While I'm waiting for delivery of Fleetscales Robust class tug (been 5 weeks now :(( ) I'm trying to gather as much info; and photos as possible.
I know from reading some of the posts on here that there are some Mayhemers who have served on the 3 R's. So I suppose my question is, does anyone have any photos they could share with me or have any info; on the tug's they think might be of use or can point me in the right direction.
I have tried joining the forum "Model warships uk" as apparently there's quite a few on there but either the registration system or website it self has a problem as it keeps coming up "Generic Error"
Anyway....thanks in advance. Off to work now.... >>:-(
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Do these count
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Also do these help. Robust from build was delivered to the RMAS and was stationed for a while at Gibraltar before ending up at Devonport and mostly used as a harbour tug. The other two were delivered to the Ocean tug group which was a sub group of the RFA and were mainly at Singapore and were black hulls and light grey upper-works, with two lifeboats and that huge square fender on the bow which wiped out a few stanchions and was removed under RMAS ownership as was the lifeboats. Their stability was not brilliant and would roll heavily in a flat sea and not many men could hold their dinners down at sea. Had a bollard pull of 50tons but after 15 minutes the power had to be reduced to over heating of the engines. In RMAS, they were painted black hull, white line along the bottom of the bulwarks. Superstructure buff, all deck machinery was painted black, handrails and portholes on superstructure white, boat davits when carried white, masts buff, standing wire rigging to masts white. The equipment on the flying bridge such as the signal lantern was covered in grey canvas covers. The towing Horses (some call bows in the civilian world)were painted black, the fitting of the 100 ton lift blocks tackle on the starboard side were never fitted but carried below in the salvage store. They had a third engine control unit fitted on the aft end of the superstructure with the wheel control by orders over the P/A system. Originally they were to be copies on a smaller scale of the Englishman, I did see the original outline drawing and they would have been handsome craft. But the senior master said he would not have engineers on the same deck as as deck officers and the engineers said they would not live on the same deck as the crew, so the original bridge deck became the deck officers accommodation, and a funny chicken hutch was placed above as a bridge. Next salvage officers wanted extra machinery for divers and a diving team that extended the back of the accommodation block plus the fire fighting monitors platform above the accommodation and lastly they cut 30 foot of the front end with out compensating for stability so that they could be used in harbour. That is why they rolled and pitched heavy and made me and many others very sea sick. Hope that gives you some idea about them but if you have any queries do not hesitate to ask as i am sure that I can get more info on them if required.
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Some more pics
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These pics were taken at nearly the end of her working life in MoDn, she is deploying a noise maker for nuc subs to exercise in deep water near Gib.
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First batch of the Robust from the Lachie Stewart archive. Not sure how many Martin will allow in multiple posts? There are about 100.
Andy
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Yeah she looks in a poor state there, when I first went on her she was based at Greenock on Navy Jetty. Her main work was AGI shadowing, halh a cable off in daylight and 1.5 cables at night. Though she did rescue the Blue Rover in the Pentland Firth in a full blown gale after the RFA lost its rudder, common problem with the RFA class. Took part in towing the big carriers to scrap and salvage at least two vessels. The ftting by the rope coil is where the 100t four fold block secures and the roller behind is its lead block.
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Another bit of info is the Robust the last of build had different spacing between her propellers, also as a harbour tug she was very handy as good as any dog class tug, just a bit heavier in the water. Believe the Rollicker was eventually lost at sea with all hands after she was sold out to a firm in Australia.
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Hi everyone, [size=78%]firstly I apologise to all that have taken the time to reply, but unfortunately that bluming thing shiftwork is getting the way........ shouldn't complain really, especially the way things are at the moment.[/size]
Dodes.... Thanks for the info and photos they will be of great help when she finally turns up. It sounds like it was rollercoster of a ride onboard, I can only just cross the channel without revisiting previous days meals <:(
Do you know if any of them still had the lifeboats when the superstructure was painted buff or where they gone by then ?
Andy (Marinemole).... Some great photos, thank you for taking the time to post them for me. Do know how I can access the rest of the Lachie Stewart archive, is it a web site or a group etc; that I could join?
Another general question.
Does any one know if RMAS/RFA would give out information about the 3 R's if contacted ? Eg...different build spec's, history of vessel when in service etc.
Don't know what's happened to the first line... Opps, anyway, Thanks again and I apologise if I don't answer straight away. :-))
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The lifeboats went in about 1980, as the Rollicker had hers for the three years I remember her on the Clyde, about that time the RMAS decided to remove them and rely on inflatable rafts, as being MoDn unregistered vessels they were not required to follow DTi reg's but follow the general guide lines. So in answer to your question yes they did carry them for a short period when painted buff, but why not go for the RFA look of black hull and light grey superstructure, they looked quite smart in thoe's colours and I have not seen anyone yet model them as such.
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Afraid the RMAS was privatised in 1996, and the HQ at Bath destroyed all records as did the local port management did as well. Robust was the only one different in her screws have different spacing to the other two, she was RMAS from new in buff colours, was first stationed at Gibraltar for several years before transfering to Devonport. Royster was first of Class her master was Capt Dunkley and after working here and there was transfered about 1976 into RMAS ownership wand was transferred to Devoport, she ended up on the Clyde. Rollicker was at one time stationed in Singapore, but on transfer to RMAS was based at Greenock with a RMAS crew, transferred to Portland before ending up at Portsmouth. When first in RMAS the Rollicker covered Nortwest passages , Roysterert covered Southwest area for Nuc Subs.
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Some more detail pictures. Unfortunately, since the Great Photobucket Massacre there is no online archive of Lachie's pictures. I have scanned a fair number from his collection. They are mostly of ships built at Fergusons yard in Port Glasgow.
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Again I Thank You for taking the time to post info; for me.... :-))
Dodes.... Do you know why Robust had different screw spacing, would it of made much difference to her handling ?
Shame the records got destroyed but thanks for the insight into their history.
As for the colour scheme, the more I look, the more it might end up in black & grey with life boats..... but then again the buff does suit them {:-{
Marinemole.... Certainly looks worse for wear in places, a little bit of TLC needed but some good detail in photos, the life belt holders do look strange on the front of the superstructure, at first on some of the previous photos I couldn't make out if that's what they were or not.... Thank you.
Any more nuggets of info; or photos anyone can add, I'd be most grateful, Thank You in advance........... and it's still not arrived yet !
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Robust was last to be built, suspect the altered spacing was for improved handling. But all three handled well, as I said earlier you just had to be that more careful when securing alongside light weight warships, because of their heavier tonnage. When they first came across the Roysterer's capt always demanded a tug to standby to berth and sail him, so the RMAS always sent the Robust, but the master of Roysterer at sea on a big tow really proved his wealth of knowledge on that subject, just he was not a harbour tug master.
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Reference the black and grey, remembered seeing the Roysterer and Rollicker coming up to tow Triumph to Portsmouth, they where very impressive to see in that colour scheme and when I get round to do mine I think thats how I will do it just to be different.
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Those last pictures were taken when she was out of service and up for disposal in Greenock's Great Harbour.
Bob
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Pictures 11 to 20
Andy
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Andy (Marinemole)......... great photos, thankyou. Good detail of the radar and fire fighting platform, looks very busy up there %% . Do you have any of the towing/winch area? I can't find any on the net, there probably are but I'm just not looking in the right place !!!
I spoke to Justin at Fleetscale friday morning and the good news is it's ready to be sent out very soon..... The bad news, still waiting for the props, shafts and rudders, they will be sent out after the festive period early next year..... not the end of the world, plenty I can be getting on with :-)) .
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What I remember is two slots in the aft bulkhead for the towing wires to pass through and on ethier side of the compartment a very large warping drums and doors leading into the tow winch areas.
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AS requested.
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I see one of the earlier photos shows the apertures for the towing wires, two large horizontal flaps on the bulkhead. Long time since i was on, it was the Robust bashing across from Portland to Devonport in a force 8 gale in 1984. Both the master and myself were incapacitated the two junior mates had her and did some damage forward through weather.
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The Foredeck Teak planking is in amazingly good condition....literally unmarked :o .......must have been a well laid job from original......... Derek
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Andy (Marinemole)..... Thank you again for the photos, lots to think about when I start the build. I appreciate, it's time consuming but any other photos you think might be of use I would be grateful for...... at your convenience of course :-)
Derek, is right about the planking on the foredeck, it looks like it's just been laid !
Dodes...... with ref to the towing wires, is that photo jpeg 69 that shows the two horizontal flaps..... or have I missed something?
I know you've said she was a bit lively and would roll even on a flat sea, is that the reason you were both incapacitated because of rough sea condition on the way to Devonport ?
Pete
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Yes that is the photo, thinking about the slits , I think that was a large ocean going tug I saw which was built on the Clyde in the late 1970's.
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39 to 48
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Andy (Marinemole)..... Can't Thank You enough for these photos, Top man :-))
With regards to the teak planking on the foredeck, does anyone know how far it extended around the superstructure ?
I spoke with Justin at Fleetscale on Friday and he's posted it out that day, so should be with me over the weekend or Monday.... O0 Yaeee, it looks like Christmas may come a couple of weeks early in our house...... can't wait to get started.
One small snag has been pointed out to me by my good lady.... The dinning room table isn't to used as a work bench until after the festive period <*< ..... >>:-( .... {-) {-) {-)
Pete
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Teak on the foredeck went aft and across the back of the funnels. The bit under the davits were not timbered but seem to remember cement was laid there, but have slept many times since those days so memory not brilliant.
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Dodes.... Thank you for that, looks like the coffee shops might be short of some stirring sticks over the next few weeks.... :o :police:
She finally turned up today, 8 weeks to the day of placing the order, looks like it was worth the wait :-))
Pete
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Found this one off Robust, as new probably on builders trials as she is registered with London, which at the time was unusual as all PAS/RMAS craft were MoDn unregistered vessels.
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Dodes....Thank you, that's a nice shot of the stern and the life boats. I've decided that my build will be with the lifeboats and not the RIB so now looking for lifeboats and davits, looking at MMM they have some that look similar but don't know if they will be tall enough.
Can you remember if the lifeboats were double ended ? Looking at the photos I think possible there were, but not sure!
Does anyone know what paint would be a good light grey colour match for the superstructure and a green for the deck.... Thank you in advance.
On that note, I'd like to wish Mayhemers the world over a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy 2021.
Pete
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Davits standard luffing davits using hydraulic rams, the life boats standard D.T.i double ended lifeboats with florescence orange along top of gunnel if I remember correctly, as Rolloicker still had them when I sailed in her 1977/78.
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Dodes..... Thank you :-))