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HMsubmarine Onyx

9K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  Scatari 
#1 ·
Just heard that the Onyx was towed from Barrow for scrap on the 12/ 06,aparently going to Hull,lack of funds stopped her being open to the public again,bloody annoys me when this country can waste money on fighting wars we will never win but cant help save another Falklands vet.
 
#2 ·
That's strange because Onyx was definitely still in Barrow on the 13th, albeit on a different berth.
An ex submariner and myself has a good look at her and to be honest, the boat is in a terrible state with numerous holes in the outer hull and an underwater garden Neptune would be proud of.
The British public in general aren't interested in old ships, no matter what their pedigree or history and that's why virtually none are a success as a museum - hardly anyone visits them and they 'leak' money so fast they become a liability.
 
#4 ·
ABP have let me know that Onyx will make her departure on the evening tide on 19th June. She is currently berthed at the anchorline basin, north side if anyone wants a close-up look before departure.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for setting the record straight,the info I was given was probably her movement to another berth,any news as to where she is to be scrapped would be appreciated,I did hear it was to be somewhere up the east coast but as my last lot of info was wrong I,ll not take to much notice of that.
 
#6 ·
Hms Onyx

How disappointing. The comment about public lack of interest is correct up to a point. Museum ships can be successful if part of a wider 'offering'. For example, Ocelot survives at Chatham as part of the Historic Dockyard or Britannia is quite successful at Leith being linked to a shopping centre. It is when they are out on their own that they struggle. Manxman was a case in point at Liverpool. Once people have been once.... etc.
You also need volunteers although they do cost money. They give their time for free but they will usually need a uniform, a lunch room etc. I remember visiting Onyx when she was at Birkenhead and I asked the boat keeper how many volunteers they had and his response was 'me'! Maybe it needs people with the money and foresight to organise things.
I am very lucky being a volunteer at the National Maritime Musuem here in Sydney where our exhibits include the Daring Class Destroyer HMAS Vampire and the submarine HMAS Onslow, a sister of Onyx. The Musuem employs a small number of professionals to keep the vessels in good shape while we have 400 volunteers who all give as much or as little of their time as they choose. Some are ex Navy or merchant seamen but many are just interested amateurs. As a result there is a good camaraderie and good interaction with visitors as a result. Visitors to Australia always welcome!!
 
#7 ·
Just like to point out that when Onyx was part of the WPT, the Trust had more than One volunteer. I think the response of 'me' was a bit tongue in cheek.

The volunteer system works well, but you must have a professional full time nucleus.
Visitors to the submarine would always remark that the boat was the main reason for their visit, so public interest in submarines is there.

It's a great shame that the proposed submarine museum at Barrow never happened.
 
#8 ·
Down here in Guzz we have HMS Courageous which is,with a lot of help and sheer hard work from ex submariners open to the public, all the guided tours and maintenance is carried out by a lot of volunteers who all as usual give their time free, there is no funding from any other source apart from donations from visitors, there has and still is a lot of visitor interest in the boat probably because she is the only nuclear one as far as I know open to the public in the western world. Someone will no doubt put me right.
As you say their must be a good nucleus of volunteers otherwise none of these attractions would survive.
 
#10 ·
Apparently it was not cost effective to dredge the channel and modify the gates in the old engraving dock where they were hoping to put her.Only problem with the Froggy boomers they were inclined to bump into ours,it amazes me that with the size of the oceans in the world two missile boats can collide.
 
#11 ·
Onyx's departure has been delayed until 28th June (at present) as it would appear that the vessel is currently unfit to put to sea and needs remedial work to be carried out before allowing departure
 
#13 ·
Last I heard is that she was not fit for sea, so would not be going anywhere until repairs were carried out, as of today she is as far as I know, still in Barrow,the last news of the breakers was supposed to be Hull.Any news will be posted.
 
#15 ·
Onyx is due to shift to another berth at Barrow on 7th August and was slated to depart on 12th August for Hull. However, the latest movement list no longer has a departure date included, so draw whatever conclusions you want from that?
 
#17 ·
Onyx departed from Barrow today (30/04/2014) on the noon tide, bound for Swansea where the majority of the scrapping will take place. Parts are being saved for display in Glasgow, including the torpedo tubes.
 
#18 ·
What a pity she is going for scrap. I visited HMAS Onslow twice, I thought she was the most complex piece of mechanical equipment I ever saw, but I was a merchant man!. I have great admiration for the volunteers who give their time to making her a success as a museum ship. I did find it hard to get someone to explain the Engine room spaces, I think the man they got was a seaman, but they did go and fetch him.
The boat in Cherburg is well worth a visit, I thought,"at last I will see a Reactor Room" but no that whole section has been removed and a new light section welded in. There was no one to talk to but the audio phone worked well. There were very few visitors on the two occasions I was there so I was able to linger over the pieces I was interested in,ie the turbines and what I could see of the control room. A great way to put down a few hours waiting for the ferry.
 
#20 ·
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