Waighty
1st July 2011, 20:24
RMAS Kinloss, Rosyth, mid 1980s, coming alongside the Bullnose After a day in the reserved area doing shock trials for what by then had become DRA. The scale model suspended between the horns and the trials barge alongside on the starboard side. I came in through the boat channel, took a turn and lined up for the Bullnose. Went to kick her off and then come astern; the Kinloss steamed majestically on in a straight line and the port horn disappeared into the old WWII lookout building on the end of the Bullnose. Just before impact one of the deck crew called up and said "we're gonnae hit the building", I think I replied something along the lines of "if you can't think of anything other than the bleedin' obvious, shut the **** up", I was a little pre-occupied at the time you understand!
We slid gracefully into the old building, then backed out and secured along side. The port horn needed remedial work very quickly as we were destined to sail for the Humber a couple of days later to maintain PEPs moorings. One of the stokers kept his bike in the building but miraculously it wasn't damaged.
Plenty of damage forms and reports to write and an intrview with the CP and SM. Happy outcome though, the dockyard estate people (what used to be MPBW but I can't remember their name at that time) had the building down for demolition, so inadvertently I'd saved them money by doing the job for free - they just had to pay for the clear-up!(Ouch)
We slid gracefully into the old building, then backed out and secured along side. The port horn needed remedial work very quickly as we were destined to sail for the Humber a couple of days later to maintain PEPs moorings. One of the stokers kept his bike in the building but miraculously it wasn't damaged.
Plenty of damage forms and reports to write and an intrview with the CP and SM. Happy outcome though, the dockyard estate people (what used to be MPBW but I can't remember their name at that time) had the building down for demolition, so inadvertently I'd saved them money by doing the job for free - they just had to pay for the clear-up!(Ouch)