Hello.

This is my first post and I, along with a fellow modeller am planning to build one of two boats which used to sail under the names of Bluebird and Swift out of Bridlington. As far as I have been able to discover, after talking to ex-crew members these boats could well have been 38' Walton Seaplane tenders but all the crew tell me that the hulls were slightly different as Bluebird never planed as well as swift. Is there anyone out there with amy information about either of these boats please? They were in Bridlington during the 60's and so far I have been able to get a few old grainy photos and a set of Walton plans but nothing definitive about the boats. Bluebird certainly had the RAF roundel painted on the side when the paint was cleaned off so she at least must have some RAF heritage somewhere.
Any help, no matter how small will be greeatly appreciated before our knives touch the wood!

Thanks in advance,

Ian.

Hi Ian

There is/was a Swift which was a BPB 41.5ft ST (like the Deans Marine kit) but it is likely you refer to a different boat. Let's see the grainy photos and we'll give identification a go. Size the pictures to under 50kb, remove any punctuation marks from the titles and hit the symbol with a green up arrow to browse your files to select your designated upload picture. There is a Walton ST called Fly By Wire, the owner of which is also a forum user. She can be seen on the nhsc website.

Regards,Christian. 

Thanks Christian.

I'll have a go and see if I can manage an upload of a photo of both Swift and Bluebird.

Hope that's not too big. It shows the original owners from Bridlington once the boats had been refurbished to take passengers.

Thanks,

Ian.

Sorry Christian, I forgot to add that on Swift there was a small plate identifying the builders as Brooke Marine. (Or so I was informed by an ex-crewman)

These photos might help too.

Cheers,

Ian.

Hi Ian

I am almost certain they are Brooke Marine STs as the crewman said. There are a number of cues, the distinctive hull belt and transom corners but the clincher I think is the highly placed clearview screen in the port wheelhouse window only.  The above picture of the wonderful Zeta ex ST 377 (also a Brooke Marine ST) is from my Dad's albums and shows these cues to good efect. You are lucky in that Zeta has been faithfully restored to original and last time she was sold the brokers took many incredibly useful pictures for modelling purposes. It is also fortunate that I saved most!

Thanks to Nick at Boatshed for allowing the pictures to be used on the forum.

Regards,Christian 

Post war service, tropical colours.

Many thanks Christian.

I doubt very much that either one is still afloat but one never knows. The details you quote seem to clinch the deal althougb I am sure about Swift's origins. Bluebird was the one without the Brooke Marine identity plate but had the roundel under the paintwork (no number unfortunately). Maybe one day I might find out what happened to them both but in the meantime I will use the photos you posted (and the others on the website) for details when I start to build.

I see you are in Gib! I worked there many years ago (80's) for a while with the military, billeted in the RAF Officer's mess near the 'gate'.......happy times I remember. Have fun and thanks again.

Regards,

Ian.

Ian hi,

Swift and Bluebird were the boats that as a child holidaying in Bridlington got me interested in fast launches. It was 2/6 old money for a trip to Flambrough head and back. I, and my brother were allowed to "drive" them on many occasions.

You probably know that there was a third boat "Kingfisher". It took fishing parties out to the head and I have caught many fish from her. I was told that she was converted from twin screw to single screw. The boats were, I understand, owned by the Newby family. I haven't been to Brid for a couple of years but last time I was there they still had an intrest in the odd Coble plying its trade for 3/6 hour trips and the person who I understood to be "Old man Newby" was still sat at the end of the jetty nearest the Harbour Cafe.

Of course you may already know most of this. If so sorry for boreing you with it.

If anyone knows of any of the 3 still in existance I would love to know! I will look through the old holiday snaps and see if I can find you any photos. If I can I will pm you with what I find.

Hi and thanks.

Glad this thread might have evoked some memories for you. Any photos you have would be most helpful, especially of the deck detail if possible. I have quite a collection of photos and information now and hope to start building the boat after New Year's celebrations have passed and I'm sober enough to focus my eyesight! By all means PM me if you have any photos, no problem.

Cheers for now,

Ian.

Hi folks,

I remember these two boats from my time at Brid in the 1960s. They were 40' narrow beam S.Ts.  There was also a broad beam 41.5ft  BPC cut pown for sea angling and trip work.  No pics I'm afraid.