Mermaid & Foxtrot 3
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
Joined
·
73 Posts
Lightvessels on the move
Interesting to see the pic,s of the THV Mermaid towing a lightship, I spent nearly six years with the Trinity House Service on tenders and we did quite a bit of LV towing. I started my sea going career on the THV Alert out of Swansea in 1958 as an engineer. The 1st Pic. I have attached is of the 'Alert' towing the St. Govan LV from the builders yard in Dartmouth to her station.
The second pic, is of the 'Alert' alongside Kings dock Swansea and is the only pic, I have of and would really be chuffed if any of you old salts could point me on the right course to get a decent one.
The other pic, was taken in the early sixties and is of the old 'Mermaid' towing the Corton LV from her staion to the Tyne for drydocking, we ran into a force ten and had to ride it out for a number of days as we cuold not drop the tow.
I saw someone the other day mention the old Trinity pilot cutter 'Vigia' on which I also sailed, an experience I will not forget. She was bought by a company called Marine Salvage & Survay Services whom I worked with for a short period of time. She was biult on the lines of a herring drifter and was powered by two AEC diesel engines coupled to generators which drove her electric motor. I was seconded to her as a relief engineer to take her down south to do some survay work, we never made it, Having run aground somewhere in the Medway we limped into Ramsgate with a buckeld hull and had to get the East Kent fire brigade to pump us out before we could be slipped to repair the damage. I payed off.
She was eventually sold off to a company in Great Yarmouth where she done some work for the offshore gas industry finally catching fire and sinking.
Interesting to see the pic,s of the THV Mermaid towing a lightship, I spent nearly six years with the Trinity House Service on tenders and we did quite a bit of LV towing. I started my sea going career on the THV Alert out of Swansea in 1958 as an engineer. The 1st Pic. I have attached is of the 'Alert' towing the St. Govan LV from the builders yard in Dartmouth to her station.
The second pic, is of the 'Alert' alongside Kings dock Swansea and is the only pic, I have of and would really be chuffed if any of you old salts could point me on the right course to get a decent one.
The other pic, was taken in the early sixties and is of the old 'Mermaid' towing the Corton LV from her staion to the Tyne for drydocking, we ran into a force ten and had to ride it out for a number of days as we cuold not drop the tow.
I saw someone the other day mention the old Trinity pilot cutter 'Vigia' on which I also sailed, an experience I will not forget. She was bought by a company called Marine Salvage & Survay Services whom I worked with for a short period of time. She was biult on the lines of a herring drifter and was powered by two AEC diesel engines coupled to generators which drove her electric motor. I was seconded to her as a relief engineer to take her down south to do some survay work, we never made it, Having run aground somewhere in the Medway we limped into Ramsgate with a buckeld hull and had to get the East Kent fire brigade to pump us out before we could be slipped to repair the damage. I payed off.
She was eventually sold off to a company in Great Yarmouth where she done some work for the offshore gas industry finally catching fire and sinking.
Attachments
Toby,
Don't know if this is the same Alert but it might be worth taking a look at this German model site which has pictures and a load of stuff about building a model of her. Maybe you would like to give it a try? - looks damn hard to me.
http://www.kartonbau.de/wbb2/thread.php?postid=92139
Regards,
Brian
Don't know if this is the same Alert but it might be worth taking a look at this German model site which has pictures and a load of stuff about building a model of her. Maybe you would like to give it a try? - looks damn hard to me.
http://www.kartonbau.de/wbb2/thread.php?postid=92139
Regards,
Brian
Joined
·
73 Posts
THV Alert
Thanks for that Benjidog, but my old Alert was built in 1945 at Swan Hunters yard on Tyneside. I believe she was laid down for the Navy but whilst on the slips was taken over for Trinity House.
She was a twin srew steam ship of about 1500 tons. I joined her in 1958, thats giving away my age.
Regards Toby
Thanks for that Benjidog, but my old Alert was built in 1945 at Swan Hunters yard on Tyneside. I believe she was laid down for the Navy but whilst on the slips was taken over for Trinity House.
She was a twin srew steam ship of about 1500 tons. I joined her in 1958, thats giving away my age.
Regards Toby
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!