A neighbour of mine is selling ex-RAF General Purpose Pinnace ASRP 1218, I can get more information or as many pictures as anyone wants.  I do know a full history, both its service and civilian use is available, if anyone is interested I can post more.

Chris Hanley

ASRP 1218 has been used as a houseboat for about ten years, prior to that as a motor yacht.  The latter years have unfortunately seen some neglect but prior to that she was extremely well maintained as testified by a survey report dated 1997 and subsequent re-fit.

Despite being kept on the Thames and thus in fresh water the hull is remarkably sound and water tight.  She does leak through the roof but almost none through the hull itself.  I have lifted all the floors I can and inspected her timbers and tested with a ball pien hammer and they ring true.  There is some softness around the waterline but as far as you can tell without slipping the boat out of the water the hull is ok.

Some of the up-stands on the superstructure are in a poor state especially the supports of the engine room roof.  The roofs themselves have been fibre-glassed and are quite serviceable despite the poor condition of the paintwork.

The decks were in 1997 laid with teak, some of this needs re-caulking.

The engines, although not the originals fitted in 1942 are still Perkins S6M diesels.  The centre engine has been removed (although the shaft is still in place) to allow greater access to the aft part of the boat.  The engines have not been run for at least five years so the condition is unknown.  The gearbox, manifold and I think a few other parts of the centre engine remain as spares.

Although the boat has been a live-aboard houseboat for a number of years the interior layout of the boat has not been altered and has much of the wheelhouse remaining either original or at least very 1950’s period.

The current owner is not in the country but has left instructions to sell.  His asking price is twenty-five thousand pounds but I would of thought he would be flexible on the price.  The boat is crying out for some love and attention and unless it receives some work soon I think it will rapidly deteriorate which will be a tragedy.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Welcome aboard, very interesting re the GSP, hope as ever someone will take her on and she is not lost, consider putting her on the boats for sale section of this site, appreciate perhaps members of the forum might want a crack at her first, but then if not, perhaps a wider audiance might see her on boats for sale, just a suggestion.

John

I hesitate to suggest this, but my sources state that the 1219 was in fact built at Walton Marine Craft.  Western Yacht Works, Pwllheli was the leading yard for this class of vessel and was often erroneously given as the builder when another of the numerous yards that built these vessels had in fact been responsible.

Chris

I have persuaded the owner of ASRP 1218 to lower the price to what is a probably more realistic level.  I think he will accept any offer around £12000. 

Not knowing much about this sort of thing, would the members think this is a reasonable price and where would they suggest I advertise her or even advise how I can add her to the “For Sale” listings on this site.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Send me the details to

mailto:pathfinder@safemariner.co.uk - pathfinder@safemariner.co.uk

and we will put on the for sale site.

A couple of inside pics will do.

Also who to phone if interested.. 

hi folks,

The ASR Pinnace was a stopgap design as wartime builders could not meet the required delivery for HSLs. It had nothing to do with the seakeeping qualities of the Hants & Dorsets as they had not even been built at the time the Air Ministry decided to convert some GS Pinnaces for ASR work. Although Western Marine built a number of these craft, the lead yard was Groves & Gutteridge, and they subcontracted the work to various other yards.

Perhaps I didn’t come across properly, I meant to say that if a high speed vessel had to slow down in bad weather than you may as well use a slow speed vessel that can maintain the same speed. Nothing against the sea keeping abilities of any vessel. So the Pinnace would be suitable to convert as bad 'weather' ASR as they were (relatively) slow. As you say this was until suitable replacements were found.

Of course I meant HSL's not H&D. my mistake.

Hence they were perhaps suitable to be used in bad weather and supplement other vessels.

Would I be right to say the Pinnace took a lot of weather over the stern in bad weather. So as soon as replacements were ready they were used.? It would be interesting to see if any of the ASR service records show they were moved as better boats became available.

This raises an interesting question for me. Was the construction of HSLs limited to specialist yards? E.G wouldn’t it have been easier to simply construct HSLs instead of pinnaces? I know from the info you sent me some pinnaces were converted and finished as ASR vessels. But then further vessels were laid down as ASR Pinnaces, Why not simply build HSLs?

Hi again,

the wartime construction of RAF HSLs was mainly in the hands of the British Power Boat Company for the simple reason that Hubert Scott Paine had to fight a long battle with the then MOD to have his designs accepted.  The 'old boy' network was stacked against him in Admiralty circles with Peter Du Caine of Vospers. Thornycrofts yard aslo had a long history with the Navy and their designs too were favoured over Scotty's.

The main factor for the delay in fulfilling the RAFs ASR requirement was engines as the Navy had first call on all high speed petrol marine engines such as Thornycroft RY12, Packards, and until Italy entered the war, Isotto Franchinis.  Had the BPC not entered into an agreement with Napier Aero Engines to produce a marinised version of their LION then virtually no engines would have benn available to them.  They had a similar arrangement with Meadows for the smaller power plants.  Fortunately slower RAF marine craft could use diesels and this enabled the Ministry of Aircraft Production to order GS., ASR and GD Pinnaces by using Gardiner and Perkins engines.

When Vospers built their fifteen 73ft HSLs for the RAF, they used twoThornycroft RY12s as the main engines, and Vosper/Ford V.8 as auxilliaries.  The Thornycroft 67ft HSL (which were the most numerous of all wartime HSL) were powere by their own engines.

The British Power Boat Company had also been promised an unlimited supply of Rolls Royce Merlins for marinisation around which they had produced new designs, but the War Dept bagged all R/R production for aircraft.

Don, Thanks very much for the photo, I'll pass it on to the owner, I'm sure he would love to see it.  For photographs of how she looks 60 years later.

http://www.chris-hanley.bravehost.com/ - http://www.chris-hanley.bravehost.com/

Chris

Nice pics Chris! She does look pretty good but seems to be at the that critical point where she will go downhill pretty quickly if TLC isnt forthcoming! 

To have survived so long in such original condition is amazing..have you or the owner looked at getting one of these emergency grants from the historic ships register?  Its been discussed here a few times may be worthwhile trying to secure some money even if she is for sale.

I was not aware that such a grant is available, please tell me more?  However I must say that if the boat were sold in the near future as I hope it will, it would be better if the money was to go to the new owner and they get the benefit.

Hi Chris

Here is a link. http://www.nhsc.org.uk/ - http://www.nhsc.org.uk/

Have a look and follow the other links, just ask if you need more info, other members know a lot more about than me!

Mark

I was not aware that such a grant is available, please tell me more?  However I must say that if the boat were sold in the near future as I hope it will, it would be better if the money was to go to the new owner and they get the benefit.

HMMM...........so why do we see pictures of these vessels opperating in places like Padstow, Newquay and the Scilly Ilses etc etc?

Tony

Pinnace 1218 now on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RAF-rescue-Pinnace-1218-made-in-1942_W0QQitemZ270209305071QQihZ017QQcategoryZ1296QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RAF-rescue-Pinnace-1218-made-in-1942_W 0QQitemZ270209305071QQihZ017QQcategoryZ1296QQssPageNameZWDVW QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Hi Rozm2,

Just seen the above, interesting, hope someone again dose take her on, grants mentioned are ex the National Historic Ships money from the Department of Culture Media and Sport, max £3,000 or 75% of what you ask for, not a lot given works may be needed.

JohnK

If you are really intersted, I suggest you get Terry Holthams most recent 'Marine Craft Directory' this has quite an extensive listing of all the RAF Pinnaces, failing this, contact him directly and for a small fee he may research the vessel for you, which will furnish you with all the relevent information, good luck.