Single Hull Tankers

[fred henderson]

British bureaucrats are among the worst in the world and always take great pride in adding severity and complexity to EEC regulations. The EEC is accelerating the abolition of single hull tankers from European waters, but the British MoD has decided that the regulations do not apply to RFA oilers.
A group of British shipyards has put forward an unsolicited privately financed plan to replace the Leafs with double hull tankers. Their motivation being to keep the shipyard workforce together until the bureaucrats reach a recommendation to Ministers on the proposed new Aircraft Carriers. The proposal seems to have sunk without trace.
The civil service will add a billion Pound bill on the private sector on a daily basis, but it cannot accept a small addition to a departmental budget. I am sure that there are other European navies with single hull oilers, but Britain has such a disregard for the regulations that it included single hull oilers in the Fleet Review.

Fred (Cloud)

[moaf]

I can't understand how the navy will be able to operate such vessels. Say, for example, Brambleleaf enters Japanese waters - She won't be allowed within 12 miles of land. How can the RFA maintain a strategic ability if their oilers can't go worldwide?

[James_C]

maof,
These RFAs can still go around the world. If the vessel comes under military auspices (which the RFA do, when it suits them of course), then they're exempt from such legislation.
There's an M notice about it, but I forget which one.

[fred henderson]

Above many things, the Governent has a political responsibility to the voters in the UK. How can it politically justify failing to replace 25 year old single hull oilers? Especially when it is forcing every UK voter to pay about 25% more for electricity to build totally useless and environmentally unsound wind turbines.

Fred

[James_C]

Just because they're single hull doesn't make them inherently unsafe. The RFA are a lot better at being seamen than the weekend sailors (RN)!
Of course, whether the Government have the political responisbility to replace them purely to give the Shipyards (most specifically Swan Hunters) work, then that's another thing.
I'm not sure if Govan has the capacity just now to take on a replacement program for the Leafs and Rover boats (seeing as they've downscaled so much), and since Harland & Wolff threw in the towel a couple of years ago after the last AWSR Ro-Ro, then it's only Swans who are left (Ferguson and VT being too small to build the required size, and the chance is Fergusons will close at the end of the year).
Personally, I don't think the Government have the political will either. Seeing as Tony B Liar and his cronies have openly admitted they want Britain to "move away from the metal bashing industries".