MTB 219 |
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Alecwattlington
Newbie Joined: 23 March 2015 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Any extra info would be gratefully accepted as we are trying to find out all there is to know about MTB 219.
Thanks Alec
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Garethep
Groupie Joined: 12 July 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 59 |
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MTB 219 Today- looking good! |
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johnk
Senior Member Joined: 25 March 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1355 |
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Hi there,
Many thanks, yes indeed with a bit of sun shine there, sure busy preparing for the new season, but hope to hear from the team soon perhaps, all the best, Johnk |
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Medyna
Newbie Joined: 17 April 2015 Location: Colchester Status: Offline Points: 14 |
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Hi Steve. Peter here, former owner of ex_MTB 253, Medyna. Just looked at your photo of 253's wheel. That takes me back....the hundreds of hours I sat or stood at that wheel, & the miles of cruising around England, France, Belgium and Holland. The steering was wonderful...2 turns lock to lock with knob in, freewheel in centre setting, used for setting the autopilot, and 10.75 turns lock to lock with knob right out. She handled so well that she was easier to put in small gaps than the 45_footer which I had next. Just one point in the pursuit of authenticity when you give it to 219.....the brass knob is not original. It was a spherical black knob originally, but my mate loved keeping that brass one gleaming, along with the stair tread edges & the non original brass handle which used to be at foot of stairway, came from a Thames barge & which I still have.
I am hoping to find time, probably next week, to go down to Hoo and see her derelict, and also Freelance, ex MGB45, which belonged to my pal,and lived on next mooring to 253, and now seems to be for sale in Hoo. Hope I will be able to find Medyna. Just got to see the end of the story, even though I don't know what led to her being in a sinking condition. Guess I just have to remember that it's nearly 24 years since I sold her (11.09.1991). |
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johnk
Senior Member Joined: 25 March 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1355 |
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Hi there,
Many thanks last and memories of 253 up and running, yes Freelance, once Polish S45 I think...if so went on board once for a look see, nice owner, had great original plans for an MTB to be built for the far east but never done as war ended there with the H bombs of course....so up for sale, she was in good nick, replacement engines as usual, but clearly in forward compartment could see original build, pierced frames ie round holes cut out for weight saving, all the best, Johnk |
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Medyna
Newbie Joined: 17 April 2015 Location: Colchester Status: Offline Points: 14 |
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Hallo, yes, Freelance was laid down as an MA/SB, loaned to the Polish Navy as the Polish S3, then on return became MGB45. She belonged to Jim Henderson at Rye, then Teddington, then Canvey for nearly 50 years. Re-engined in 1975, and took part in Thames flotilla for Queen's first Jubilee, after I had declined taking MTB253 due to her (then) petrol-paraffin engines being rather uncontrollable in amongst that many boats. So Freelance went, and made a good job of it, with her wartime Polish CO aboard. Jim Henderson sold her around 2002-time to move to Wales for his wife's health, having lived aboard all that time.
Unfortunately, going by the sale photos, she now seems to have been wrecked in the pursuit of space as a houseboat, and the agents comment that there will be "even more room" once the engines have been removed !!. The price is low, but then unless it has been done very recently, she has not been out of the water since 1965.........that's 50 years, of which 20 years were on fresh water at Teddington, and Jim was worrying whether the outer skin may no longer be there as long ago as 1987, when both Freelance and Medyna came downstream to Canvey. The journeys were made separately,as Freelance was bound for Canvey direct, and Medyna round the East Coast for three weeks first, so Freelance towed my unsinkable dinghy in case a lump of driftwood went through Freelance's inner skin. Every time I took Medyna on a slipway, Jim remarked that he really must do that with Freelance soon !! It never happened, but he always kept her smart, and remarkably original internally. Not so now. Back to thje subject of Medyna, MTB253's wheel, it gave me a jolt to realise that I was the last person ever to steer Medyna with that wheel under her own power. Shame. But when I bought her in 1976, the owner Len Rowley remarked that she'd have done well if she lasted to 50. With all the work I did and had done on her, she was a year short of 50 when I sold her in 1991, so I suppose she had a remarkably long and useful life. But then look how J Samuel Whites built her to last.....every hardwood joint had a softwood stopwater, on a boat meant for an active service life of 3 years !!! When we took her back to bare wood in 1981, she stood there with her pre-war seasoned honduras mahogany planking all a gorgeous bright red. I sold her "on the button" and fully seagoing in 1991, having cruised her for nearly 16 years, which is why I am so sad she is now derelict. Just got to admit nothing lasts for ever. I'm feeling my age too. |
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Peter Leggett, former owner (1976-1991) ex MTB 253, later Motor Yacht Medyna.
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johnk
Senior Member Joined: 25 March 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1355 |
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Hi Peter,
Many thanks, yes think I say as you say "more room if"!, well fate of many of course, static.....indeed, such vessels were only a stop gap for the war, never meant to last, the US destroyed most of theirs in theatre, although PT 305 on the News and Links page, plus couple of others, survive with 305 being restored fully, looking very good. Indeed, you did your best and of course can not worry about subsequent owners for sure, all the best. Johnk |
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Medyna
Newbie Joined: 17 April 2015 Location: Colchester Status: Offline Points: 14 |
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I went down to Hoo yesterday, partly to see Freelance, ex MGB 45, for the last time, as I saw she had been sold last week. Took some persuasion to be let in to the boatyard (port Werbrugh) but eventually was allowed in to see her. After many mistakes, I found her. Terrible. When I think of how smart she was at Teddington and at Canvey, what do these people buy ex Admiralty craft for if they are going to let them deteriorate like that? Why not buy an old lighter-type of houseboat if you are going to neglect her? Maybe that type could stand it. On poor old Freelance, even the waterline area patches are rotting through.
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Peter Leggett, former owner (1976-1991) ex MTB 253, later Motor Yacht Medyna.
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johnk
Senior Member Joined: 25 March 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1355 |
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Hi there,
Many thanks for the post there, sorry to hear re Freelance, as per last, have been aboard some time ago, yes all of that area now under port Werbrugh control, was once part Hoo marina and access pretty much all the time, albeit the live aboard side where owner has his vessel, ex Grey Goose, indeed these old wooden vessels take some looking after, but still around despite....all the best. Johnk |
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Steve
Newbie Joined: 12 May 2009 Location: Southampton Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Hello folks,
Reading this and another forum posting, can I assume that MTB 253 is no more now? Regards, Steve
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