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Ex-RN Ships in Civvy Street World Naval Ships Forums Archive

Ex-RN Ships in Civvy Street

Posts 1 to 50

Thought I'd start a thread showing RN vessels after they left the Service. (place mouse over pic for name) 1. ANSERAVA - House boat 2. COMINOLAND - Pleasure cruiser in Malta 3. BRITANNIA MONARCH - North Sea Rescue Vessel 4. BRITANNIA HARVESTER - As above Rik
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Some more. 1. CAMPANIA - floating Exhibition Centre 2. AAGTEKERK - Freighter 3. RHODESIA STAR - Freighter 4. SOUTH AFRICA STAR - Freighter
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What a good idea for a post! And how interesting. Can you explain what each of the ships became?

A very good post what about a photo of each ship before and after ROM

Herk, if you place your mouse over the thumbnail, It'll tell you the RN name of the ship. Rik

Yes mate, I did do this. What I was asking was what purpose these ships were put to after being converted.

Edited the two posts, Herk, to show what they did afterwards. Rik

Thanks Rik. I guess quite a few warships end up this way. I suppose they aren't all scrapped afterwards?

Some more, still around. 1. SCIMITAR - Floating restaurant 2. NAUTILUS - Luxury yacht 3. OSPREY - Luxury Yacht 4. LADY DAVINIA - Harbour pleasure cruiser in Malta (Update: Not GREETHAM but DOWNHAM)
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I am finding these interesting! But can you tell me what the SCIMITAR was before becoming a restaurant? I don't recognise the ship type.

HMS SCIMITAR was a Fast Attack Boat, Herk.
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Wow! Thanks mate. She certainly scrubbed up nicely then. So these fast attack boats are the sort of thing used in the Persian Gulf?

No mate, they were used in the 1970's as training ships for Young Officers to gain sea time. They were Sabre, Scimitar & Cutlass.
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NICE pic Rik you can date that by the "wasp"........it,s the only type of chopper i saw most, during my time ,excepted the odd "seaking" doing a subex.during the 60,s and 70,s. CYLLA

Found this photo to add to Rik`s photo and comments...
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Nice one Terry. Have the same pic but it was cropped just to show Scimitar. Has anyone else got any pix ?

Another batch. 1. TITAN - Luxury Yacht 2. H.V. FOX - Guardship 3. JONAS HANWAY - Cadet Training Ship 4. YA TOIVO - Deep Sea Diamond Mining Vessel
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I seem to remember that Scimitar had gas turbine propulsion didn't she? Ian

RIK / TERRY, and what about HMS ELFIN later NETTLE ? Torpedo Recoverty Vessel. Served with the fleet 1933 - 1957. Sold to POUNDS Yard & then on to Tanker Cleaning Co. Amsterdam. Passed to `Steam Preservation Society' (my translation of Dutch), and now being restored. Moored in WORMERVEER / Zandamm. Still steam (although now oil fired) & goes every two years to Steam Festival in Dordrecht, Holland. Is ELFIN the only ex-RN Steam Ship in opporation ??? I do not know of any others, although there is probably one hiding away in India / Colonies ??? Sorry I cannot post pics of ELFIN, but others may. Regards Sadsac

Dennis, posted all my other pix of Elphin/Nettle on your other thread.

not forgetting tenacity chaps!

Tenacity never made it to civvy street. She was broken up after part conversion after some spurious allegations of a chemical fire that damaged her beyond repair. (If I remember correctly) Please correct me if I'm wrong.

It has come to light in the last two weeks, after long discussions with the Small Craft Group (SCG), that the earlier pic of LADY DAVINIA was not the former IMS, HMS GREETHAM, but HMS DOWNHAM instead. Sadly she sank at her moorings last year. Another one lost for good :(
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Rik An update on the Nautilus - post #9 - just received from South Africa: NAUTILUS – SDB - 120 tons – 117,25 ft x 20 ft x 4,5 ft. Built as HMS GLASSFORD 1955 – To South African Navy as NAUTILUS 1992 – Sold and rebuilt as a motor yacht. October – sold for RM 2,6 November – sold for RM 2,2 2009 – 8 May – Sold by Michael Ebeling to Searl Derman for ZAR 4,25 million. To be refurbished at a cost of ZAR 3 million to service local and international tourism market Big numbers means big money in most languages - with the exception of Zimbabwean currency!! Anyway, good to see that she is still afloat with money being spent on her Regards Mik

Mik, that's very interesting to know. The latest photo I have of her was date April this year.
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RIK - some silly questions !! What `other Thread' ??? I started a THREAD on `ID'ING PHOTOS - but would you believe, I cannot find it !! Is it `there' or did I not do it correctly ?? HELP Sadsac / Dennis

They are all on the Depot & Repair ships thread Post #73 [url]http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1436&highlight=elfin&page=3[/url]

The seaplane carrier HMAS (later HMS) Albatross went on to become [I]Hellenic Prince[/I], a refugee transport ship. The pictures show her before and after.
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great post, thats the first time i've seen what happened to Challenger, i'd heard she was converted but i had never seen the result!

HMS CICERO (ex-EMPIRE ARQUEBUS) post-war as the SS AL SUDAN.
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# 9 Left hand pic scimitar. Thought i had seen this boat before... Yangtze river gunboat c1935, but why is the hull still in red lead and why haven,t those shell holes in the hull been sorted.

Anyone got any more pix of ex-RN ships, or am I the only one ??????

[QUOTE=culverin;114163]# 9 Left hand pic scimitar. Thought i had seen this boat before... Yangtze river gunboat c1935, but why is the hull still in red lead and why haven,t those shell holes in the hull been sorted.[/QUOTE] Sorry Culverin, but don't have a clue as to your reply ?????? Nothing to do with a river gunboat c1935 !! This was one of the three 'Scimitar Class' Fast Patrol Boats.

Fascinating stuff chaps. This must be the ultimate in re-cycling! I remember that one of my dad's ships, HMS Genista, ended up as an ocean weather ship. I think that my own ships all went to the breakers, sadly, with the exception of two DLGs that ended up serving in foreign navies. Keep up the good work. best wishes Jan

[QUOTE=Jan Steer;114241]Fascinating stuff chaps. This must be the ultimate in re-cycling! I remember that one of my dad's ships, HMS Genista, ended up as an ocean weather ship. I think that my own ships all went to the breakers, sadly, with the exception of two DLGs that ended up serving in foreign navies. Keep up the good work. best wishes Jan[/QUOTE] She was re-named [I]WEATHER RECORDER[/I], Jan but sadly I have no photo's of her in that guise.

HMS POLSHAM (M2792) - Now a houseboat named MAPLIN
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[QUOTE=tonclass;114718]She was re-named [I]WEATHER RECORDER[/I], Jan but sadly I have no photo's of her in that guise.[/QUOTE] in this link to 'flags of the world' site; it includes Ocean Weather Service ships & names the other ex RN ships, but sadly no pics as yet:- [url]http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/flags/gb~ows.html[/url] Little h

ex HMS ENTERPRISE for sale... Yes the inshore survey vessel can be yours, or yours even, for a paltry..£30,000 Built in 1959 and paid off in 1985 she still looks little different from her all in white outfit from all those years ago.

Culverin, ENTERPRISE was laid up in the Tyne in the late 90s for a long time before being sold to an Irish enterprise who were turning her into a radio station or something like, here's a shot of her at St Peters basin circa 97-98 stilll in her R.N Colours externally but between decks she had been gutted.All her machinery had been removed as had all the cabins messdeck spaces galley the lot, you could walk from bow to stern unhindered.At this time the price tag was in the £80,000 range Regards Dave
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[QUOTE=harry.gibbon;114738]in this link to 'flags of the world' site; it includes Ocean Weather Service ships & names the other ex RN ships, but sadly no pics as yet:- [url]http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/flags/gb~ows.html[/url] Little h[/QUOTE] Hi Guys, When I was based at Great Harbour in Greenock late 70's as well as the Weather Class there was also the Admiral Class, cause Admiral Beaufort, I had to go along side on Droxford due to bad weather at the Molassis Jetty in Greenock - as far as I can remember there were 2 x Admiral Class and the rest were Weather Class named, there was also the N Ireland Squadron of HMS's Alert etc and the Scottish Fishery protection boat (name slips my mind for the mo). Yours Aye Jack the Gunner.

I have come across this photo of a privately owned motor yacht called Destiny - probably taken prior to WW2. To me it suggests a possible ex-RN vessel does anybody know anything about her??
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Sorry Terry, I haven't a clue but certainly a nice boat. I wonder if it is still around!

Transcribed from the second entry I published for 1 Dec 05 on the MCDOA website (now in [URL="http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/News_Archives_Frames.htm"]News Archive[/URL] 12). Apologies for not conforming to the usual WNSF convention of attaching photos instead of hot-linking them but I wanted to preserve the integrity of the article. [QUOTE][B]'Spotters' Corner' - Ham Class Inshore Minesweepers transferred to the RAN[/B] The Australian theme continues and I hope the following will be of interest to members. During the past few weeks, your humble webmaster has enjoyed a stimulating exchange of correspondence with people in Australia and New Zealand while ascertaining the fate of three Ham Class Inshore Minesweepers transferred to the RAN in the 1960s. 93 ships of this class were built for the RN in the 1950s (those were the days!) and it has now become apparent that my main reference ([I]British Warships Since 1945 Part IV - Minesweepers[/I] by my late friend Jack Worth, founder of the [URL="http://www.tca2000.co.uk/"]Ton Class Association[/URL] (TCA)) is incorrect about these three particular ships. Unfortunately, Jack transposed the fate of two and misnamed the other after their sale to the RAN. This whole affair started off owing to my routine attempt to win the Mystery Ship of the Month competition run by my friend Rik Furnival on the TCA website (I know, sad isn't it?). Incidentally, the answer for November was HMS NEASHAM. [INDENT]HMS NEASHAM (M 2712) was laid down in 1955 at J. Samuel White of Southampton and completed on 15 Nov 1957 but remained in operational reserve in a land cradle at Rosneath on the Clyde until 1967. She was transferred to the RAN and arrived in Sydney on 29 Jul 1968 as deck cargo on board the Blue Star freighter English Star. After a period at Garden Island, she was converted into a diving tender by Storey & Keers Pty Ltd, Balmain, Sydney and renamed PORPOISE (DTV 1002 & Y.280) on 13 Jun 1973. She was sold on 29 Nov 1989. HMS POPHAM (M 2782) was laid down in 1954 as HMS HATTERLEY at Vospers of Southampton (the Ley Class was similar to the Ham but only 10 ships were built). She was completed as HMS POPHAM on 4 Oct 1955 but remained in operational reserve at Hythe on Southampton Water until 1956. She was then land-cradled at Rosneath on the Clyde until 1963 and transferred to the RAN on 9 Jun 1966. She arrived in Sydney as deck cargo on board the freighter Gladstone Star on 3 Sep 1967. Although she was due to be converted into a diving tender and renamed OTTER (Y.299), she remained in reserve in a cradle at Garden Island, Sydney. She was listed for disposal on 31 Dec 1975 and sold on 17 Feb 1976. HMS WINTRINGHAM (M2777) was completed 8 Dec 1955 at J. Samuel White of Southampton but remained in operational reserve in a land cradle at Rosneath on the Clyde until 1963. She was transferred to the RAN on 9 Jun 1966 and arrived in Sydney as deck cargo on board the freighter Gladstone Star in 1967. She was converted into a diving tender by Halvorsens, renamed SEAL (DTV 1001 & Y.298) and entered service in Dec 1968. She was decommissioned in 1988 and sold on 29 Nov 1989. [/INDENT] Ex-HMS POPHAM (RAN OTTER) and ex-HMS NEASHAM (RAN PORPOISE) were bought by the Australian property developer [URL="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/sad-twist-to-williams-dream/story-e6freoof-1111115515232"]Keith Williams[/URL], owner of Seaworld Pty Ltd of Surfers' Paradise, Queensland, and converted into luxury motor yachts (ACHILLES I and ACHILLES III respectively). Only [URL="http://www.charterworld.com/?sub=yacht-charter&charter=luxury-motor-yacht-achillies-716"]ACHILLES III[/URL] is left and she is currently operated by a NZ yacht charter business called [URL="http://www.sailconnections.com/"]Sail Connections[/URL]. In pursuit of my enquiries I enjoyed some fascinating e-mail exchanges with Jeni Tidmarsh, the owner of Sail Connections (she sailed from Gibraltar to Antigua in an ex-minesweeper called SAMALA in 1976), and Keith Williams' PA, Louise Spicer. Keith Williams then took a personal interest and sent me a long letter and a stack of brochures about his yachts and his vast new marina development, run by his son Ben, at Port Hinchinbrook between Townsville and Cairns. Ex-HMS NEASHAM (RAN PORPOISE) went from this: [CENTER][URL="http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/images/Ex-HMS%20NEASHAM%20as%20RAN%20PORPOISE.jpg"][IMG]http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/images/Ex-HMS_NEASHAM_as_RAN_PORPOISE_small.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [B]Ex-HMS NEASHAM as RAN Diving Tender PORPOISE[/B][/CENTER] to this: [CENTER][URL="http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/images/Ex-HMS%20NEASHAM%20as%20ACHILLES%20III.jpg"][IMG]http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/images/Ex-HMS_NEASHAM_as_ACHILLES_III_small.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [B]Ex-HMS NEASHAM as Luxury Motor Yacht ACHILLES III[/B][/CENTER] Ex-HMS WINTRINGHAM (RAN SEAL) was converted into a luxury motor yacht too. After foundering recently in Western Australia, she is now back in operation and is still named [URL="http://www.cairnsvisitorcentre.com/yacht_charters/seal.htm"]SEAL[/URL]. So, perhaps buying your own ex-RN Ham Class Inshore Minesweeper (see second item for 14 Nov) is not such a bad idea after all. My sincere thanks to Jeni Tidmarsh, Louise Spicer, Keith Williams, Tony Ey and Jake Linton for their considerable help during my research.[/QUOTE] I note that the link for the luxury motor yacht SEAL (ex-WINTRINGHAM) is no longer valid. Does anyone know if she is still around? However, I did find [URL="http://www.superyacht-charters.com/motor/my_calisto/index.htm"]this ex-BYMS[/URL] now operating as the luxury motor yacht MY CALISTO in South East Asia.

That is some conversion the Neasham went through Rob. It must have cost nearly as much if not more than a new one. Or, perhaps it was the first class hull and propulsion unit that clinched it. Whichever thanks for posting the pics and the story. Dave H

Hi Rik, Here is the only phot available of the Hulk Tenacity (Tincity) to you and me. Yours Aye Jack the Gunner.
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[QUOTE=JacktheGunner;122722]Hi Rik, Here is the only phot available of the Hulk Tenacity (Tincity) to you and me. Yours Aye Jack the Gunner.[/QUOTE] Hi Jack, I think that is the only pic of Tenacity I've seen after she was sold by the MoD.

Rik, Here are the other 2 x picys and that's the end of her!. Cheerz Jack.
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Former 'Dog' Class tug RMAS MASTIFF. Now a luxury yacht.
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Don't Look much like a Dog now doe's she nice one Rik. Here's a pic of STANFIRTH EX BEAULY FIRTH Taken 1949 Regards Dave
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Hi Dave, Nice picture - the tender running a parallel course looks to be a 1920's Steam Customs Cutter. --------anyone confirm ??? Dave H

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