Trip Up The Trot To Wave Off Ships Disposed

[warshipdisposal]

Hi all......I am exploring the idea of organising a trip out for all the phots among us to follow ships being towed out of portsmouth that have paid off either to disposal or sold to breakers ... this is only in the preliminary stage at the moment ...... would use something like butchers boats as they have nice safe steady vessels and know the waters in and around the harbour....... the next one to go is RFA GREY ROVER , folllowing that the three type 42 s on fountain lake will go up the trot...... if there is any interest then a show of hands would be useful.... this is stressed as a non profit idea and for those like minded could be a regular or one off thing... could be followed by a lunch (if appropriately timed) in a local hostelry or open to suggestions



steve:)

THIS ONE IS OF THE EX HMS SOUTHAMPTON SAT ON FOUNTAIN LAKE JETTY WAITING TO GO UP THE TROT....EXETER AND NOTTINGHAM ARE BEHIND

[tonclass]

Count me in Steve. I'm only an hour away from Pompey. A chance like that would be excellent.

I'm sure I could also drum up some support from my Pompey connections, who regularly photograph ships in and out of the harbour.

[astraltrader]

Steve - If I had enough notice and it was the right day, then I might be interested as well. I could drive up from Exeter in a couple of hours.

Let me know if there is enough room!

[Kevin123]

I only live 10 miles from southsea, my son wouldn't mind going along as well. Kevin.

[warshipdisposal]

Not to wave a ship off this one .....this is to go from old portsmouth up to the two disposed t42s exeter and southampton and back approx 1 hour...photo opportunity


date next wednesday the 30th september

time 12 midday sharp...... if your not there we go at 12 without you


cost £ 10 a head


start point..... old portsmouth bridge tavern car park, blue boats ( butchers work boat peter james)


5 peeps max, rik and i are going if you want to come its first come first served , must be able bodied and no children, send personal message if you want to come, if weather bad option is to do it the thursday, will need contact details

steve

[warshipdisposal]

NOW FULL THANKS TO ALL

[Batstiger]

For us people who are too far away to manage it please come back with loads of photies!

Bob.

[faakeith]

For us people who are too far away to manage it please come back with loads of photies!

Bob.

I second that, please take loads and loads for those of us to farway. I am willing to pay for a disc if someone is willing to copy pics to a disc and post to me ( Steve ?? )

[tonclass]

Terry can't make it, so there is one space available (unless Steve has covered it overnight)!!
Contact (PM) Steve with your name if you can make next Wednesday (30th Sept) and give him your contact number ASAP.

[astraltrader]

Sorry about that guys I would love to have come otherwise.

[tonclass]

A very enjoyable couple of hours were spent today, chugging around the Dockyard & Fareham Creek, courtesy of Steve Hale (warshipdisposal). Weather was fine although very cloudy but well worth a tenner. I'll post some pix taken, in the Gallery shortly.

Hopefully another trip can be arranged in the future. Well done Steve, and thanks again.

[warshipdisposal]

Thanks vice admiral Rik... was good to meet other members in a low key scenario hope it moves forward and we can do it for more members if interested, it's easy, low key and very friendly ... very special thanks to Gary and team at Butchers.

[Kevin123]

I'd like to thank Steve for organising todays trip up the yard. My dad can't believe where all the ships have gone to ! He was with afloat support. I couldn't stay for a drink I had to pop in to St.Marys for an hour on the way back. Thanks again Steve. Kevin.

[tonclass]

Nice to have met you and your Dad, Kev. Lets hope we can do it again - SOON !!

[Kevin123]

Rik, were the ships up the trot known as the reserve fleet, my dads going back to the 1950's. He can remember all sorts of ships layed up. I joined the MOD in the mid 1980's, and even then there were more ships then there are now. I'll sort some of his photos out tomorrow. Kevin.

[astraltrader]

Even then? There were three times the ships in the navy then as now - if not more!!:(

[tonclass]

Kev, the reserve fleet is moored up within the dockyard. Anything laid up in the Creek is scrap - Unfortunately !! Completely different from the 50/60's.

[Kevin123]

Thanks Rik, we'll go again anytime, I think my wife was glad to get rid of me for a couple of hours ! I'll have a drink next time. Kevin.

[warshipdisposal]

latest on grey rover it now looks like next week for those interested

[em3 hugh]

for those of you interested in photos of decommissioned warships, american navy, that is, there is a book titled "warship boneyards" by kit and carolyn bonner. it has lots of photos of ships from various eras. i bought a copy off e bay. also, not being familiar with royal navy jargon, what does "up the trot" mean? thanks, hugh

[Ednamay]

During my childhood in Portsmouth, up the trots merely meant 'up harbour' - small boats in Stamshaw Creek beside Whale Island, real ships further up the harbour proper, towards Portchester; here on the Isle of Wight, 'Folly Trots' are mooring areas in the river Medina, accessed from small jetties in the area of the Folly pub

Hope that helps.

Edna

[Ednamay]

P.S. Hope Terry Butchers and his wife Sonia are still in the land of the living and in good health!

Edna

[em3 hugh]

thank you edna for the explanation.

[ekd]

for those of you interested in photos of decommissioned warships, american navy, that is, there is a book titled "warship boneyards" by kit and carolyn bonner. it has lots of photos of ships from various eras. i bought a copy off e bay. also, not being familiar with royal navy jargon, what does "up the trot" mean? thanks, hugh

"On the trot", "up the trot", or "gone on the trot" had/have very specific meanings in the RN.

Of course, 'the trot' is a very well defined permanent linear series of mooring bouys usually in a working harbour or sheltered river, and usually well off the main channel used by in-service craft; or in a creek or lesser channel.

This system provided accomodation for a huge number of vessels in various states of reserve or awaiting disposal. This was done so as not to clutter up the main berths, basins or facilities in use by the operating bases.

Being taken up to the trot, meant the vessel would be moored stem to stern between two of the bouys on the trot. It was usual to moore more than a single vessel between two bouys, to maximise the available space. Thus the tidal movements in the trot area did not interfere with ships on the trot, they were so tightly constrained. They did not change heading with tidal changes, just simply rose and fell with any tide. This enabled high densities of ships to be kept together. If these were just anchored, the area to keep them in would have been greater than the total area of port itself.

There are hundreds of fotos on this site showing examples of ships on the trots, worldwide.

"On the trot" was sometimes used to describe a sequence of events 'one after the other', so to speak. Like "...then three buses came, on the trot"
(trot bouys are usually laid one after the other, i.e. linearly)

'Gone on the trot', was sometimes referred to explain a man's absence, in a foriegn country, after he hadn't returned to his ship.
(i.e. running...one foot after another, trotting!)

Anyway....hope this helps em3hugh. It's a little more to add to Edna's and others' notes, about on the "TROT"

[Vegaskip]

Here is a cleaned up version of a painting I posted in another thread.
90251
All just a memory now
Regards Jim

[ekd]

Here is a cleaned up version of a painting I posted in another thread.
90251
All just a memory now
Regards Jim

Thanks, Jim. Nice, but sad sight.

[em3 hugh]

thank you for your further elucidation of the "up the trot" question, ekd.
hugh

[Greig64]

Piccy of another old lady going to grass...took this during a reunion in May 08, Nottingham had just completed what has transpired to be her last Falklands Deployment and I was lucky enough that an ex-shipmate was still serving in the mob after 32 years and got us a bimble pass for Fountain Lake. I hadn't been back to Pompey in 25 years so it was brills and rather poignant to see her again as I served on her first Falklands deployment as a young RP in 3Q mess, Jan-June 84. You can probably tell we had an extended DTS the day before culimiating in the 4 o'clock club ;o)

Govt spent a kings ransom refitting her then decided to scrap, such a waste, great ship, great mates, happily the majority of us ex 3Qs are now in touch and meet up for a few wets and dits on occasion. Calm seas guys.

[ludsie]

Thanks for posting enjoy seeing the pictures whether there from up the trot or not