Do you mean MFVs or Fleet Tenders? I would have thought the MFVs would have gone by the 80s.
The RNXS ran some of the latter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Naval_Auxiliary_Service
They are all listed here http://www.mvfintry.com/classlist.htm

 

MFVs

By 1983 only 12 MFVs remined in service these were;
Stores ships
MFV 7, 15, 96, 256, 740, 911
Diving ships
MFV 119, 642, 775
Tenders
MFV 140, 175, 816
If you look in the gallery I have posted a picture of MFV119 which was laid up in 1986 and was sold to Pounds in 1987 who removed her super structure and sold the hull as a mooring hulk at Cowes in 1988.

 

Mfv 175

By 1983 only 12 MFVs remined in service these were;
Stores ships
MFV 7, 15, 96, 256, 740, 911
Diving ships
MFV 119, 642, 775
Tenders
MFV 140, 175, 816
If you look in the gallery I have posted a picture of MFV119 which was laid up in 1986 and was sold to Pounds in 1987 who removed her super structure and sold the hull as a mooring hulk at Cowes in 1988.

hi guys

i've just happened across the forum when looking for more information about my MFV. I've just recently bought MFV 175 which after decommisioning in 1988 (ish) went into private hands and was used for short trips until the mid 90's after which point it has unfortunatly spent much of its time detioriating. Although still floating it has suffered somewhat and now needs significant repairs to the deck, hull, engine and wheelhouse/ cabin.

if anyone has any information about this MFV (previously known as sultan venturer, st cecelia and dream trader) i'd very much appreciate it.

take care

Jo

 

Bit late but MFV 96 (kyle of lochalsh was what we called her)was passed on to the sea cadets at some point in the middle 80's i guess,spent a lot of time from 86 (i think) till 89/90 on her,with trip's to holland,france,I.O.W, some point in the early 90's she was taken out of the long haul trips due to health and safety reasons,on a diffrent note i do remember on 1 trip of all female cadets they took a few feet off the front by hitting a harbour wall, O how we laughed, anyway if any one has any photos of the 96 i would be greatful, as i can't seem to find any on the web or any Sea Cadet group site.

 

Bit late but MFV 96 (kyle of lochalsh was what we called her)was passed on to the sea cadets at some point in the middle 80's i guess,spent a lot of time from 86 (i think) till 89/90 on her,with trip's to holland,france,I.O.W, some point in the early 90's she was taken out of the long haul trips due to health and safety reasons,on a diffrent note i do remember on 1 trip of all female cadets they took a few feet off the front by hitting a harbour wall, O how we laughed, anyway if any one has any photos of the 96 i would be greatful, as i can't seem to find any on the web or any Sea Cadet group site.

Women, eh? (Jester)

 

Yep,was the week before i was due to sail on her,was in repair for a good few months.

 

Message to the Lone Gunman,
Have been searching for the same thing for quite some time myself and could not remember what the MFV96 was called. Finally remembered we called her the Kyle of Lochalsh. Well have also found a picture of her (believe from before her SCC Days) on the following link http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/naval_trawlers.htm (wait for the page to load as it takes time and she's near the bottom. I sailed with her many many times and was good friends with the son of her CO. However between leaving the SCC and returning as an adult Instructor she had been removed from service and disappeared. Does anyone know what happened to her or her CO?

 

Cheers for that Link found my grandfathers first drifter on their HMD Horizon only other picture I have saw of her was when she left Fraserburgh and was sold to Yarmouth as the Hamnavoe

 

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/mfv96mpl3329.jpg Here's the photo link for those who wish to reminisce.....

 

At London Division RNR we had MFV 140 in the mid 1980s and I did a few weekend trips onboard. She was also used by the (then) new Diving Branch as their tender.

I also did a weekend to the Isle of Wight on a Sea Cadet MFV to make up numbers - the majority of people who went were not "regular" seagoers.

There was also the Dickens Class Launches. Oliver Twist at London and Uriah Heap at Southampton. Great little vessels.

If you look at the British Military Powerboat Trust site that I mentioned on another thread you will find MFVs for sale, being restored etc. From this site I discovered that Uriah Heap was for sale in Holland but sadly no news of Oliver Twist.

McC

 

How many ex cadets on here,bit of luck,anyway after much seaching i did indeed find the same picture and yes way before the cadet day's,no bridge wings on that photo,not sure if the hatch that lead's down below is the same,also she has the extra few feet in on the bow,hehe,the last i heard was she was last seen in norfolk rotting away but not 100% sure on the location,spookyspider who was the skipper when you was on her,what trip's did you do?i did the holland trip's and the fleet review in holland,plus the channel islands,the skipper i had was chris thorne.

McCloggie: mate i sailed on the Uriah Heap from london to poole 1 weekend,never again would i sail on her,hated it.

I will see if i can get any info on the Oliver Twist for you over the coming days.

 

Southampton Sea Cadets had MFV 1256 (Canute) she was a fine seaboat and I had some good times on her in the early 80s. The skipper was Charlie Comer, his son Dave Comer used to take her as well.

 

I did the occasional weekend trip on MFV1066, from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. The trips were used to train young Radio Ops from HMS Mercury, where I was ships company and I was the electric/electronics maintainer. I'm happy to have had the experience but they were awful things to sail on, 1066 was shaped like a pudding basin and acted like it at sea. Their behaviour and slow speed did nothing for my tendency to sea-sickness. Being a sea dad though, I had to give the impression of loving every minute of it. I was wise enough to scupper the tots up for grabs from those who could not handle it and I also kept myself busy by helping the chef keep his pots on the coal fired range, which was on the upper deck. Oh happy days.

 

I think it was Canute that I was "press-ganged" onto for a weekend. It really was a bit of laugh - more non-seagoing RNR senior officers and WRNS than you would have thought possible to have falling over themselves, trebble G&Ts and Horses Necks all round and the resulting mal de mere all made for an entertaining - if somewhat embarassing when trying to bring some sanity to the procedings - time.

I think Maritime Camping would be the best way to describe these weekends. No doubt they were useful in getting new guys afloat for the first time and you did learn a lot about boat handling on a tidal river that gave you experience.

All in all, Happy Days!

McC

 

I and others had some great Seamanship lessons on an MFV which like many others were laid at "Bellerophan" when we were moved off the "Vanguard" to the "M.O.G." which was also laid alongside, down as "evolution training" it was really the Brandy run as our destination was nearly alway's Fe'camp, French smokes were not worth swopping blue liner's for although the old style "mechanical" automatic watch was something to be desired in those day's. Great little ships the old wooden MFV's but not for those prone to seasickness, very tough and it's no wonder there are still plenty still sailing around the World in private hands.

 

I was the last CO of the 96 her from the time she was handed over to the Sea Cadets at the Kyle of Lochalsh until she was removed from service ,she normaly spent the winter in canary wharf and the summer based in Portsmouth and undertook trips to Holland once a year, the last time i saw her she was moored just above the Itchen Bridge at Southampton to be sold off sometime in the 90.s i do have plenty of photo's but i will need to dig them out from the loft .

 

Hi I went to Holland with her my skipper was piggot and our engineer was blue not sure what unit they were. But would love to know what they are up to now possiblely meet up with them again.

 

there is a thread linked to mfv 767
As an RNR London Division, boats party 1972 to 1978 mfv767 was used off Victorian Embankment and down to Chatham for check, survey or refit.

mick

 

Do not rember MFV 767.

When I was based at HMS President, they had MFV 140 plus the Dickens Class launch Oliver Twist. 140 departed the Embankment site before the Division moved to Tower Bridge area in 1988.

McC

 

There are still plenty of ex R.N. M.F.V's around, well built, strong boat's although with age they have usually "hogged" and are now fitted with a steel "shoe" The old petrol engined one's were retro-fitted with Foden Diesel's.

 

I am the current owner of MFV 140 (currently called Joseph but going back to MFV140 soon!), she is in Bristol being renovated by my husband and myself

 

I saw her the other day in Bristol and wondered what her origins were.

Keep up the good work, hope to see her again with her original name.

Regards

Bob

 

I am really glad to hear that 140 is still around!

I did a couple of trips on her (more on Oliver Twist) one was a joint exercise around Sheerness and the most memorable was when we assisted (towed!) a yacht up river to the Pool of London.

RNR London had organised a crew for one of the Tall Ships races and chartered the boat. I am trying to remember the name of the boat - might have been GB II (?) - and the name Salmon rings a bell as the Skipper/owner.

Anyway, we set off from the Embankment, picked up the boat out from Gravesend and brought her back to town. The most memorable event was that we did a RAS for a bottle of Pussers on the way up river.

George Creasy who I believe had worked on the river and who was decorated after the Fittleton disaster was nominal Skipper. Must have been summer 1987 as President moved to Tower Bridge in early 1988.

I may have some photos back home but am in Kuala Lumpur just now! Let me know if you want anymore info that I can remember.

McC

 

And again in 2011

 

MFV 1574 Peggy

Hello everyone

Yesterday I became the proud owner of a ships bell from MFV 1574, dated 1945. I have found out a little about her, commissioned September 1945, sold out of the Royal Navy in 1965. Does anyone have anymore info on this vessel ? I am keen to know where she was based, what she got up to and what happened after 1965. Any photos would be excellent.

Kind regards

Steve

 

Steve, you can always try visiting a library which stocks old editions of Janes Fighting Ships, as these books do detail minor vessels such as MFVs and possibly might giveaway a base port or role for your particular boat.

Regards
Steve

 

The 1946 edition of Janes mentions them only briefly,stating that there are over 500 of them and have largely replaced drifters for subsidiary duties. There is a picture of MFV1080. My copy is a reprint of the 46 edition published in 1980.

 

My father bought MFV 195 from the RN in about 1964 for £500. 60ft with Lister Blackstone Diesel weighed 5 tons and did 520rpm. Compressed air start. sailed it as Borderer from Kirkwall to Scarborough on various holidays. Based in South Queensferry. Sold circa 1971 to the Orkney Sea cadets as Hamnavoe. Sold on and last seen in Anstruther. I also knew Pandora an 80ft MFV that operated out of Leith with Sea cadets.

 

It was the Stromness Academy Navigation school that had the Hamnavoe, the Sea Cadets had a launch PLD 4309.

 

ERx MFV 195 in Firth of Forth

These are circa 1970

 

Thanks Tommy. I remember Dad rather sadly watching 'His Boat' sail past South Queensferry on it's way north.

 

Tommy as a matter of fact the 45ft Motor passenger launch 4309 was last known by me being with the Methill SCC in June 1963. Her time in Stromness, was this after 1963. Her sale from the Admiralty is not known. Is she still up north. Thanks for any info on her. Cheers Tony.