RMAS Rollicker [Archive] - Ships Nostalgia

Gulpers

15th January 2006, 23:27

Andy,

One of my old neighbours was Ch Steward on her when she was based on the Clyde. He was on board in 1979 when she was involved in the rescue effort following the Fastnet disaster.

1973 / 1037gt

Built by Charles D. Holmes, Beverley (1029)
Operated by the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service

Sold to New Zealand owners in 1997 and renamed JOSEPH BROWN

Sep 2000 sold to Iraqi interests whilst at Dubai. Renamed ALFAHD and sailed from Dubai 18 Feb 2001.

http://www.tugphotos.co.uk/pages/rollicker.htm

Equasis website shows her as being "in service" - last updated 07/11/2005

Is the report of her loss recent? (Thumb)

STRAWBERRY

16th January 2006, 22:21

Hi Gulpers, you are always there with great information! What a star you are! It was generally known that Rollicker went down with her Tow, but your information had put paid to that. I remember her based at Portland, all three of the class look somewhat Squat in appearance, it is as if they chopped a few metres off the stern. I wondered what they handled like in poor sea conditions. I know the general rule of thumb for a skipper before he left to pick up a tow, in bad weather was to sail out of the harbour and "have a look at it" before setting off on voyage. A good practice perhaps, but it got a wee bit silly when returning to harbour after looking at a severe gale force 2!!

Gulpers

16th January 2006, 22:39

Andy,

Glad to help. Google provides most of the answers!

Tug boat skipper and Pilot Boat Coxswain! I can't believe that you use the "assess the Gale Force 2" option. (Thumb)

STRAWBERRY

16th January 2006, 23:01

I never did, Too young, just memories from what my father told me, but that's what some of the old Rmas Skippers were like.
One skipper of RMAS Confiance was just coming alongside in Portland, when he just checked over the Starboard Bridge wing to veiw the distance to berth, when the bridge door blew shut and he could not get back in to stop the Engine!
One J.O.S On his first day on a Tug was told to stand back by the bosun, and watch and learn "as you will be doing this the next time" He then threw a heaving line up a 20ft freeboard and straight into the ships Panama Lead (lucky or what?)....to which the J.O.S said..."Christ! I am never going to be able to do that" ! Andy

Gulpers

17th January 2006, 00:03

I've always been interested in the RMAS vessels since they were always around on the Clyde when I was a lad.

When I was based on Islay with my present job, I sent some time on board one of the Clyde RMAS Tenders. They had a party of RN Clearance Divers on board and were destroying ammunition from Otranto, a 12,124-ton liner, built 1909, converted by RN to merchant cruiser in 1914. 535ft x 64ft. 12,000hp quadruple expansion engines. Nine 6in guns.
Cargo: 665 US troops and equipment, Halifax, Nova Scotia for Glasgow.
Position: 55 45.46N; 06 28.40W.
Sunk: 6 October, 1918 in collision with liner Kashmir in same convoy during Force 11 storm. Broke up after grounding off Isle of Islay. 431 drowned.

There were some mighty explosions as the Navy lads cleared the wreck - most spectacular ......... what a way to go fishing ........ that's another story though! (Thumb)

STRAWBERRY

17th January 2006, 20:12

Hi Gulpers, I may have got the Wrong Tug of the three, So It may be "Robust" or "Roysterer" that went down, as I am aware, she went down with a Twin Tow. Do you have any info on the Other two tugs of the class? ("a wee Dram, is turning out to be a bottle of Teachers!!!!") Andy

Gulpers

18th January 2006, 00:13

Andy,

According to Equasis ROBUST is still in service:

IMO 7341037
ROBUST
Tug
1037 Gross
Year of Build: 1974
Flag: Antigua and Barbuda
In Service

Have a look at these links for ROYSTERER'S situation in 2001 - renamed AMOLESE

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tugboats/message/468?viscount=100

http://members.lycos.nl/towing/album9/page14.html

If any of the three came to a sticky end, the likeliest is ROYSTERER although, according to Equasis, AMOLESE is also still in service.

IMO 4906460
Call Sign: 5NSX
AMOLESE
Salvage Ship
1036 Gross
Year of Build: 1972
Flag; Nigerian
In Service (Thumb)

Eh ...... Teachers is 'Cooking Whisky' ..... a nice Bruichladdich Islay Malt would be much more suitable! (Jester)

Ian Harrod

18th January 2006, 07:34

Tug JUPITER 6 was lost recently with all hands; ex REDOUBTABLE, could this be the one? Google search: tug jupiter 6.

Gulpers

18th January 2006, 13:25

Ian,

Thanks for that. Some interesting articles there about Jupiter 6's loss.

There were only 3 tugs in the Roysterer class and we seem to have proved that they are all still in service.

RMAS Roysterer (A361)
RMAS Rollicker (A502)
RMAS Robust (A366)

Jupiter 6

"Coloured Fin Ltd. has sold their 4960BHP twin screw anchor handling ocean tug "Theseus"(ex-Geronimo Two, Britoil 3, Redoubtable, Chambon Alize, Sea Husky) to unnamed buyers. The vessel was sold "as is" with damage cause by a fire which affected all areas of the accommodation and bridge. The tug, which measures 130' x 32.5' x 17.4', was originally built by Brodogradiliste Tito in Yugoslavia as '"Sea Husky". Tug is powered with twin B&W 16V23LU main engines driving controllable pitch props in active kort nozzles providing abt. 80 tons bollard pull. Tug was lying damaged in Trinidad at the time of the sale. 'Theseus' will be renamed "Jupiter 6". This is the 5th sale or purchase Marcon has worked on with Coloured Fin." (Thumb)

Above paragraph and thumbnail from:

http://www.marcon.com/marcon2c.cfm?SectionGroupsID=31&PageID=222

Hendo!

19th January 2006, 10:25

all three of the class look somewhat Squat in appearance, it is as if they chopped a few metres off the stern. I wondered what they handled like in poor sea conditions.

I've heard this story that they were reduced in length, something to do with fitting in a berth, but it was a while back and can't remember any details.

I've heard they were quite 'lively' in heavy weather, but could still take it. I did one trip from Portsmouth to the Clyde on RMAS Robust, but in calm seas, so it was no problem.

Rollicker at her berth in Cardwell Bay in Gourock is a vivid child hood memory for me.

Gulpers

19th January 2006, 12:26

Rollicker at her berth in Cardwell Bay in Gourock is a vivid child hood memory for me.

Me too Hendo, although sadly not a childhood memory! (Thumb)

Hendo!

19th January 2006, 13:29

:) hee hee

Alistair Black

19th January 2006, 15:56

Rollicker at her berth in Cardwell Bay in Gourock is a vivid child hood memory for me.

Same here, even though I'm that wee bit older than you!

Did you say you had a Mohican the other night?

A Mohican what? (Pics please!)

STRAWBERRY

19th January 2006, 20:28

Hmm, So I guess it was a load of tosh!! Great information though Gulpers! "Teachers" may be cooking whiskey....but hell....It get's me through the night!

Gulpers

19th January 2006, 23:03

Andy,

Ok, you smooth talking so and so, I'll lower my standards and join you in a Teachers!

Glad to have been able to contribute to your enquiry! (Thumb)

STRAWBERRY

21st January 2006, 20:11

Thanks Gulpers, Your help in all these matters are much appreciated.

Landour

27th January 2006, 10:43

Rollicker did indeed sink, unsure of the date, but in or around the gulf area

Gulpers

27th January 2006, 12:48

Rollicker did indeed sink, unsure of the date, but in or around the gulf area
Landour,

Interesting, can you try and get some details?
Just tried Equasis Website again and it still shows her as being "in service" - last updated 01/11/2005 (?HUH)

Presumably her loss must have been after November 2005! (Thumb)

STRAWBERRY

27th January 2006, 19:25

Hmmmm Back on the trail!!!!

Gulpers

27th January 2006, 19:43

Hmmmm Back on the trail!!!!
Yeah Andy - the plot thickens! (?HUH)

sean heveran

6th March 2006, 22:57

Yeah Andy - the plot thickens! (?HUH)
I served as 2nd/3rd Engineer on Robust & Roysterer, out of Plymouth '86-'91, great tugs to work on, did some tows to St Kilda, Loch Boisdale, and out into the Atlantic doing trials work.
We did hear that Rollicker was lost, but didn't pursue it.

Hendo!

12th March 2006, 16:44

Trying to do some rooting about here. A few Googles has got me an IMO number of 4500046, a further Google got to this page here.
http://www.world-register.net/index/A4.shtml

There is a Cambodian flagged Al Fahd with a build year of 1973 which would tally up with Rollicker. A DWT of 635, Rollicker GRT is 1,036 tons, could someone help out as to any relation between those two figures?

Not much on the interweb I'm afraid. The World Register site would probably get me the owners but I think it would cost plenty much money to register with them.

Hendo!

13th March 2006, 21:56

Gulpers

14th March 2006, 00:34

Found Joseph Brown HERE (http://www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/ixvessel.asp?ID=50010186&name=joseph%20brown&gsn=&owner=&num=&typ=exact&tid=117&tix=0&pix=0&SourceID=&refid=&hit=2)

I've tried Googling Ocean Towing and Salvage (Joseph Browns owners) but the OT&S that comes up are either Cook Islands or Vanuatu.

edit - OT & S (Cook Islands) is based in Aukland, NZ.
Hi guys,
I think that's where I got the info I posted in #2.
"Sold to New Zealand owners in 1997 and renamed JOSEPH BROWN
Sep 2000 sold to Iraqi interests whilst at Dubai. Renamed ALFAHD and sailed from Dubai 18 Feb 2001."
She just seems to disappear after being sold to Iraqi interests.
What date is the Cambodian flag info in Hendo's post #23?
Just checked Equasis again. Nothing has changed. She is still shown as being "in service" (last updated 07/11/2005) and they don't have an entry against her Flag State. (Thumb)
All the best,

sam2182sw

14th March 2006, 13:31

GUIPERS HI if up look on one of the sites on the web tugs for salei have seen the three of these tugs for sale in the last week or so it is the site that coes up at the top of the page annot tell you whicw one but it will not take long to findit.it shows you rigth round the tugs with vido cam and the numbers on the shell of the tugs sam

Gulpers

14th March 2006, 14:36

sam2182sw

14th March 2006, 15:10

HI GULPERS i am going to have a look round and see if i can find it and when i do i will let you have the site it is one

sam2182sw

14th March 2006, 15:22

HI RAY found it for you the site is called shipexo .com there are to tugs on that site of the rolliker type and one as a munber on it A366 sam

Gulpers

14th March 2006, 21:26

HI RAY found it for you the site is called shipexo .com there are to tugs on that site of the rolliker type and one as a munber on it A366 sam
Sam,
Sorry I can't find your tug site.
The side numbers for the three sisterships are:
RMAS Roysterer (A361)
RMAS Rollicker (A502)
RMAS Robust (A366)
The site you have found evidently shows Robust and another of her sisters.
Can you try going back to your site sometime and carefully copy its address.
Cheers and well done, (Thumb)

Ron Stringer

14th March 2006, 21:52

Gulpers,

The address is www.shipexpro.com, select 'Tugs' from the left-hand menu and you will find the photo listed as file 1755, right down the bottom of the gallery of photos.

Good Luck

Ron

Gulpers

14th March 2006, 21:55

Good man Ron, many thanks. (Thumb)

Gulpers

14th March 2006, 22:09

Gulpers,

The address is www.shipexpro.com, select 'Tugs' from the left-hand menu and you will find the photo listed as file 1755, right down the bottom of the gallery of photos.

Good Luck

Ron
Ron,
I've tried two PCs and I can't get that url to work. (?HUH)
Thanks anyway,

Hendo!

15th March 2006, 17:43

Acording to this .pdf file HERE (http://www.dia.govt.nz/Pubforms.nsf/URL/NZGazette15Feb00.pdf/$file/NZGazette15Feb00.pdf) Ocean Towing and Salvage went to the recievers in Feb 2000 (section 348 No. 15, or bottom of page 10 of 56).

Gulpers, not sure about date for Cambodian entry.
Ron, the link wont work for me either.

Gulpers

15th March 2006, 21:22

HI RAY found it for you the site is called shipexo .com there are to tugs on that site of the rolliker type and one as a munber on it A366 sam
Guys,
I'm beginning to think that the two ships Sam refers to in the above posting are Robust and Roysterer.
That still leaves Rollicker and, so far, we are no further forward with her fate! (?HUH)

Hendo!

15th March 2006, 22:06

http://shipexpo.com/sales/vessel_detail.asp?FileNo=2259
Could be Roysterer, I have a picture in a book of Roysterer with that emblem on her funnells, can't remember if other ones had that. Build year according to Mike Critchleys British Warships & Auxiliaries (1994-95) is 1972 not 1975. Looking again, I can't tell from those photos which one it is.

http://shipexpo.com/sales/vessel_detail.asp?FileNo=1755
This is Robust, you can just read the name on the photo, and the pennant number matches, taken at the West Jetty in the Great Harbour, Greenock. Also, in the book, Robust build year is 1974, not 1975.

Just noticed the funnell emblem on Robust also.

Gulpers

15th March 2006, 23:45

Hendo,

You should be a Detective with Strathclyde Police! Good work! (Applause)
I think you have confirmed that the two vessels for sale are Robust and Roysterer!
Your mission - should you chose to accept it is ........... what happened to Rollicker? (Thumb)

Hendo!

17th March 2006, 21:34

Ok we reckon rolliker went to 'Iraqi interests'. I went back to the Worl register site and did an owner/operator search and got this.
# Name Full name Country Port (City) Fleet Details
1 Al-Saleh ARM Abdul Rezzak Mohamed Al-Saleh Iraq Basrah 1 Details
2 Al Bahar Marine Al Bahar Marine Service Iraq Basrah 1 Details
3 Hadi BJ Bassam J Hadi Iraq Baghdad 1 Details
4 Iraq Govt Government of The Republic of Iraq Iraq Baghdad 84 Details
5 Iraq Govt Agriculture Government of The Republic of Iraq (Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform- State Fisheries Co) Iraq Baghdad 6 Details
6 Iraq Govt Trans & Comms Ports Government of The Republic of Iraq (Ministry of Transport and Communications General Co For Ports of Iraq) Iraq Basrah 1 Details
7 Iraq Govt Water Transport Government of The Republic of Iraq (State Enterprise for Water Transport) Iraq Baghdad 10 Details
8 Iraq Govt Ports Government of The Republic of Iraq (State Organisation of Iraqi Ports) Iraq Basrah 62 Details
9 Hussain Mohammed Hussain Mohammed Iraq Basrah 1 Details
10 Iraqi Oil Tankers Iraqi Oil Tankers Co Iraq Basrah 5 Details

can't gat any more details from that site unless I fork out €300+ for registration! That s why I have no more details of the Cambodian flagged Al Fahd.

Oh well, something to sniff around with anyhoo.

Mike Fishwick

26th November 2006, 17:51

I was an RFA Tug/RMAS Electrical Officer on these vessels, and during 1997, with Ken Butt, spent a few weeks in Portsmouth Dockyard getting her ready for service and generally instructing the New Zealand crew. This was when she was known as Joseph Brown.

I was informed of Joseph Brown's loss a few years later, but it could never be substantiated.

Mike Fishwick

26th November 2006, 18:29

I was the Electrical Officer of Roysterer for four years, with odd trips on Rollicker and Typhoon from 1972 to 1976. My daughter, incidentally, was conceived while I was Duty Officer one Sunday!

The R Class tugs were indeed reduced in length by some 30 feet - but on the drawing board. It was a popular cost-saving measure by the MoD, and was even applied to Newton in the same period.

The builder, Charles D. Holmes of Beverley, were not the best - after a few months we had an emergency drydocking, as wash frmo the port screw had cut through the plating above, and was flooding the void space below the steering flat. On investigation the scre to hull clearance was under half the normally agreed safe limit. Devonport Dockyard fitted doubling plates, which solved the problem. It was later found that the tailshafts were also off line.

The R Class were very lively indeed, as was shown when we went to sea in awful weather to test this scientifically. The roll recorder went off its scale at 45 degrees quite regularly, the 'specialist' who was carried to access the matter taking to his bed for the duration.

The post-trial decision was that the ship's staff 'over-estimated' the matter!

I would however, have great confidence in the R Class sea-keeping quality, having been beyond Spitzbergen island in winter (ice and high seas) three Cod War patrols (Bridge wing rails under water!) and lots of other high sea conditions - provided that there was plenty of fuel. The 420 tonnes of fuel was primarily expensive ballast, as if over 50% was used things became very violent. We once managed to get down to 25%, which was downright dangerous.

Sea sickness was not a problem - so long as one had plenty to eat - the real problem being fatigue, as sleep was impossible, and comfort unknown!

Roysterer was sold to a Nigerian company, Robust to the US/Caribbean, and Rollicker to New Zealand.

ddraigmor

30th November 2006, 17:53

Chaps,

Post the questioon on tugspotters - www.tugspotters.com - but you will have to join first. If anyone knows, someone there will!

Jonty

pugwash75

13th August 2010, 21:15

Hi, I was looking for information on the Roysterer and Rollicker today on Google and found this site. It was the Roysterer that went down in the Indian Ocean but I'm not sure what year. The Rollicker was scrapped in 2006, information on that I found on Sea Web.

My Grandad was Master of both Rollicker and Roysterer, the Roysterer being his last ship which he retired on in 1981. I can remember going onboard in Portland in around 1978 when I was 3. He was also Master of the Typhoon and Envoy and was out in Singapore on the Typhoon.

I have met a few people who sailed with him, and one Plymouth taxi driver who sailed with him (I think as Radio Officer or 2nd Mate) said that he was known as drag em under Dunkley as the Roysterer once had a tow overturn in the Bay of Biscay? Anyone know anything about this?

Waighty

12th January 2011, 12:42

You might like to know that the ROBUST is currently up for sale in Florida (can't recall the website) as a pleasure vessel or motor yacht! She has been completely cleared of all asbestos and is 'sound' by American standards. Given that the R class rolled on a wet tissue then I'm not sure I would buy it as a pleasure craft.

Tatums

29th March 2011, 21:00

Hi, As a kid back in the late 60s early 70s I remember seeing these tugs being dragged down the river Hull from Beverley, at the time they looked massive and they could only float them down on high tide so it took quite a few days to get them down the river for fitting out . Our house backed on to the river Hull so over the years saw quite a lot of shipping heading for the fitters yard.But the three tugs I will always remember.

diverdan

3rd June 2011, 11:12

I was 2nd engineer on Rollicker at the Falklands in 1982 and the last Chief engineer on Roysterer and Robust. Good vessels but uncomforatble in bad weather.,

Waighty

6th June 2011, 15:41

Sam,
Sorry I can't find your tug site.
The side numbers for the three sisterships are:
RMAS Roysterer (A361)
RMAS Rollicker (A502)
RMAS Robust (A366)
The site you have found evidently shows Robust and another of her sisters.
Can you try going back to your site sometime and carefully copy its address.
Cheers and well done, (Thumb)

The side numbers you refer to are actually called pennant numbers.