Grimsby trawler Sletnes

[nicolina]

Was the ex German torpedo boat Larwot re-built into a trawler by the owner themself the Rinovia Steam Fishing Company in 1947/48
It was quite an task undertaken by Grimsby craftsmen as the ship was totally
rebuilt from keel to the masttop.
Only the boiler and engine was left in the hull and after she did quite resemble a typical British distant water trawler except from her stern.A bit unsual in shape.
Included in the job was the removal of 4 torpedo tubes.
After all this effort she did only last for 12 years beeing scrapped in 1960.
Did the Rinovia Company not have an workshop where they produced the famous
Fearnougth trawlboards/doors?????
Any one around who did sail in her??? she was supposed to be a bad sea ship???

[Steve Farrow]

I have just been speaking to a friend of mine who saw quite a lot of the Sletnes when she came over here.
It seems that the Sletnes conversion work was carried out by G F Sleight's and the ship laid between the slipway and the crane jetty here in Grimsby when the bulk of the work was done. As for the trawl doors, these were made by Thickett's, a subsidiary of Rinovia's.
Hope this helps
Steve

[nicolina]

Thanks for the informations Steve
Some of the skippers who sailed in her where:
Frank W Brown
Bernard Newton
Sverri Ebenezerson
Thor Olgeirson junior
Laurie Ford
Charlie Sleeth.
Any idea who took her on her maiden trip?? Other skippers on her????

[birgir]

It is highly unlikely that a torpedo-boat was built with a trawlers machinery.

So either she was re-engined when converted to trawler, or she was not a torpedoboat. Does anyone know if German V-boats, (Vorpostenboats) carried Torpedos?

Birgir Thorisson.

[Steve Farrow]

Hi Birgir
Yesterday I spoke to a friend who said he was impressed by the engines on the Sletnes by being in a super condition and a different design to a trawlers because they were 'short-legged' which suggests that they were higher revving for speed as opposed for power. However, they were retained and used throughout her life.

[birgir]

Hi Steve

RN steam gunboats were supposed to make up to 30 knots. A torpedo-boat needed even more, and by WW2 reciprocating steam power plants were thoroughly obsolescent for fast warships. However, Germans had made great strides in trawler machinery before WW2, triple expansion, with low pressure turbine, was typical of what Norderwerft was putting in its trawlers in 1940, (source, Wolfgang Walter´s Deutsche Fischdampfer). Therefore, I would still argue that everything points towards a trawler, modified into warship, (yes, torpedo-tubes are weird armament for such a slow ship) and then reconverted to trawlers.
Quick look at my Lloyd´s register 1959 showed close similarity between Sletnes and surviving examples of Norderwerft´s type N2 (Walter´s classification).
Birgir Thorisson

[nicolina]

Hello Steve:
Your mention of higher speed than on a traditional steam engine made me think
of the Double Acting steam engines built by a German factory in Hamburg
Christiansen and Meyer who built double acting steam engines with ex-turbines.
They had up to 400 REVS so on tThe common foundation was incorporated a
reductiongear wich lowered the REVS to 120
Double acting= Two engines of 2 cylinder high/low pressure mounted on a common bedplate. These engines could also be supplied with an ex-turbine.
Regarding the torpedoes she migth have been fitted out with them for some kind of a special operation/task wich newer got off???????????
Laid up for a long while i.e.the A1 condition of her engines!!!!!!
In a short note i read about her she did 12,75 on her trial trip-no bad at all!!!!

[gil mayes]

Unlike a petrol or diesel engine which is single acting, a steam reciprocating engine is double acting. Christiansen and Meyer built engines carried steam reciprocating machinery to new levels of efficiency, they were also enclosed and had forced lubrication. In UK the Lobnitz steam triples were the nearest we ever got to this goal. Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde were I believe the pioneers of T.3-cyl & LP turbines with DR gearing & hydraulic couplings. The NORTHERN class for Leverhulme Ltd (Mac Line) in 1936 were good examples.
Gil.

[nicolina]

In Olsens the engine power of Sletnes is given as 127 NHP.
What does that equals in BHP????

[Gavin Gait]

The formula I have is pretty rough but gives an indication

127shp = (127shp x 9.803 = 1245Kw / 0.745 ) = 1671Hp

As I said rough but fairly close

Davie

[birgir]

Hi everyone.

Is there a linear formula for converting NHP into BHP, AND RHP?

I have both 87 NHP and 103 NHP recorded as 550 hp, but do not know if it RHP or BHP.

Birgir Thorisson

[davetodd]

Hi everyone.

Is there a linear formula for converting NHP into BHP, AND RHP?

I have both 87 NHP and 103 NHP recorded as 550 hp, but do not know if it RHP or BHP.

Birgir Thorisson

Hello Birgir
The simple answer is NO there isn't but as a rough guide :-
NHP is about 1/6 of IHP
BHP is about IHP x Efficiency of the Engine.

As a marine engineer for over 20 years I have only used IHP obtained by actual measurement on a running engine.(Steam and Diesel )
Apart from examination time when NHP,BHP and IHP were required understanding.

For a better understanding of these terms you may like to look at :-
www.nelmes.fsnet.co.uk/paxman/nhp-defn.htm

Best Regards
Dave Todd

[nicolina]

The bridge on the Sletnes does resembles the bridge on the Rinovia and they where different from other trawlers built during the same period and resembles
the bridges of Icelandic tawlers built at British yards in the same period.
Look at WEBSIDE:www.togarar.homestead.com/togarar.html
at section:Nyskopunartogarar

[Steve Farrow]

Here is a photograph of the Rinovia in 1948 and ahead of her is the stern of the Sletnes as she is being re-built
Steve

[nicolina]

From a friend in Germany i have obtained the history of Sletnes during WW2.

Ordered by Kriegsmarine as Fischdampfer3 and named Mars.

Yard no:740 from Nordenwerft Koser und Meyer
Dim:58,7x8,4x4,9 Steam engine by Howaldtswerke 750BHP

18/12-1941:In service as ship NO31 of 2 Vorpostenflotilla UJ1214
11/11-1942:Grounded in Denmark. Salvaged and repaired.
4/10-1943:Sunk in North Norway. Repaired in Denmark
3/9-1945:Confiscated by Royal Navy and renamed Larwot!!!
???-1947: Sold to the Rinovia Steam Fishing Company in Grimsby
Anyone got any infos of her time in the Navy??????

[mattarosa]

Thanks for the informations Steve
Some of the skippers who sailed in her where:
Frank W Brown
Bernard Newton
Sverri Ebenezerson
Thor Olgeirson junior
Laurie Ford
Charlie Sleeth.
Any idea who took her on her maiden trip?? Other skippers on her????

I do not know who took her on her maiden trip, but in 1954, when Sletnes was arrested by an Icelandic gunboat, the skipper was said to be Frank Padley (Times newspaper, 30 March 1954).

Hilary

[Steve Farrow]

Hi Hilary,
It's good to see you are back again............I will look forward to your postings!
Nicolina..........The first skipper of the Sletnes was Laurie Ford.
Regards
Steve

[Kerbtrawler]

Hi, Nicolina
There is quite a bit of info on the SLETNES if you go to warsailors.com and do a search, I was asking about her history in there and recieved quite a good response from the members

cheers

[nicolina]

Hello Matarosa
Thanks for info much appreciated.
The news in the Times regarding trawlers is it only if it is about foreign affairs involving illegal fishing.

Here are some of Rinovias trawlers wich Frank Padley was skipper on: Alsey King Sol Sletnes Rinovia

[nicolina]

Thanks Steve for this bit of information.
Laurie Ford did sail as skipper for a long time in Rinovias trawlers here are some:
Alsey Stafnes King Sol Sletnes Rinovia Kirknes Andanes

[nicolina]

Hello Kerbtrawler:

Will certanely give it a try. Thank you very much for info

[mattarosa]

[QUOTE=nicolina;148150]
The news in the Times regarding trawlers is it only if it is about foreign affairs involving illegal fishing.


Sorry for the late reply to your question, I have been a bit busy at work.

The information that can be found about trawlers in the Times is varied. There is a lot about incidents during the Cod War, reports of trawler losses, articles about the fishing industry, awards of bravery, fishermen going bankrupt, unusual catches, murders - you name it.

The only thing is - it is quite random. Some trawlers sank and never got a mention, others there is quite a bit of information. I suppose it depended on what other news was happening at the time and what there was room to print.

If you are interested in a particular trawler, I can have a look to see if there is anything, though I can't promise a quick response!

Hilary

[nicolina]

Hello Mattarosa:

Interesting to see if The Times did write anything about the Lancer and all her
spying activety in the Russian Sector of the White Sea.
But may bee it was to HUSH HUSH to be written about

[mattarosa]

Hello Mattarosa:

Interesting to see if The Times did write anything about the Lancer and all her
spying activety in the Russian Sector of the White Sea.
But may bee it was to HUSH HUSH to be written about

Nicolina
I can find nothing about the spying activity, either during the war (which would be very unlikely) or afterwards. There is a small item about the Lancer fishing illegally in Norwegian waters on New Year's Eve 1953 (the item appeared 4 Jan 1954) and it is mentioned once in a more general article about the cod war.
Hilary

[Steve Farrow]

It would and could not be reported at the time........in fact the exact opposite! Total denial. In fact although some Hull trawler skippers admitted spying on the Soviets, we were always told Grimsby ships were not involved, ha!
Log on to http://www.offmsg.connectfree.co.uk/mainpage.htm
This is fascinating.
Steve

[Kerbtrawler]

As you say Steve, I think the crews of both towns knew it was going on but no one advertised the fact.

The link makes very interesting reading tho'

Nice one

cheers

[edi1939]

[QUOTE=nicolina;148150]
The news in the Times regarding trawlers is it only if it is about foreign affairs involving illegal fishing.


Sorry for the late reply to your question, I have been a bit busy at work.

The information that can be found about trawlers in the Times is varied. There is a lot about incidents during the Cod War, reports of trawler losses, articles about the fishing industry, awards of bravery, fishermen going bankrupt, unusual catches, murders - you name it.

The only thing is - it is quite random. Some trawlers sank and never got a mention, others there is quite a bit of information. I suppose it depended on what other news was happening at the time and what there was room to print.

If you are interested in a particular trawler, I can have a look to see if there is anything, though I can't promise a quick response!

Hilary

[edi1939]

hello i am new to this e mailing i was second engineer on t5he loveden when she was pirated did youcome across any fotos of her inthe times

[mattarosa]

hello i am new to this e mailing i was second engineer on t5he loveden when she was pirated did youcome across any fotos of her inthe times

Hello
Not sure when you posted this as I have been on holiday.

The Times published several items about piracy on board the Loveden. This picture appeared on 12 July 1966. I hope it is of interest to you.
Kind regards
Hilary