I am wondering now whether there could be a 'Merchant Navy' title within this Forum - I'll ask the 'powers that be' - meanwhile have you any shots of your GT powered Cargo Boat 'Tramontana'? 

The gas is liquified and boils off so the gas is burnt as fuel. Also it is possible to run main engines on crude which gives a VLCC a hell of a range before it runs out.

Richard.

A Merchant Navy page so soon. It only took the powers that be 50 years to learn that the MN was involved in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Thank you Ted,

Richard.

Yes Richard - it has taken some while to get the MN properly recognised - hopefully this Forum will help generate some more interest and awareness. A book that I would recommend is "The Real Cruel Sea" by Richard Woodman ISBN 0 7195 6403 4

Gives some depth to the understanding of the Merchantmen's battle in the Atlantic 1939-43 - be warned, a 'heavy' read but well worth it in my opinion.

Ted

This poem was written by an 18 year old who followed his father into the merchant service and had a hard time during the war years. I like it.

On all the seas of all the world, there passes to and fro,

where ghostly icebergs travel, and spicy trade winds blow,

a gaudy piece of bunting, a Royal ruddy rag,

the blossom of the ocean lanes, Great Britains merchant flag.

I am still proud to wear the Red Duster even on an ex navy craft.

Richard.

The San Demetrio film has some brilliant shots of reversing an old marine diesel. Most don't understand that you make the whole engine run backwards to go astern. Fiendish machines to ordinary folks and only understood by God and his disciples, the marine engineers.

Richard. 

Thinking about enginerooms I must find the time to put something together about Gas Turbine power as a lot of people seem to think the gas turbine was as a result of the Whittle engine but of course the "Turbinia" was gas turbine powered.  Steam is an ouderless colourless gas. The jet engine was/is another way of powering a turbine as were gasifiers which the Germans used as compressors on submarines they don't have a crankshaft!!

Don't forget the T2 tankers, half their main propulsion unit was a steam turbine.

Hello tramontana, and thanks for the welcome.

Yes I was on the SMOKY HILL, '50/51, and the RED BANK, '56/57.

Great ships with unheard of amenities for anyone used to British ships. The gun tubs were long gone before my time. After my MN service, I spent some time in the RNXS. We did our training at HMS VERNON, Portsmouth in Inshore Minesweepers of the HAM class, PORTISHAM in my case. There does not seem to be any interest in these little ships on this website and I wonder why?

Mike, Ham's have popped up now and again but best source of info on Ham's, Loyal's and patrol vessels is W.S.S. small craft group, if you are not a member let me know and I will p.m. you with  contact info. Apparently there is still a T2 being used for storage at the southern end of the Suez Canal, I was on a private steam yacht around 4 weeks ago she had 2 quadriple expansion engines they were smaller versions of liberty ship engines, and were built before W.W.2 by a locomotive company, her original boilers had been replaced by oil fired fully automatic square, yes square boilers. She was built for the Dodge family (Dodge Motors) had War Service, post war she went downhill, now a luxury yacht with a 3/4 Steinway piano in the lounge and a superbly kept engineroom with that unique smell that brings tears to the eyes of old steam men

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but I did one weekend "tour" on a HAM many moons ago with Chatham RNXS, fantastic old world standard of build, brass speaking tubes etc and plenty of wood. Above yacht sounds great, you can't beat the smell of steam!,

JohnK

Mike

Portisham now;

http://www.boat-list.com/boatdetailpopup.asp?btsrefno=5193896&callpage=externalbrokerlist - http://www.boat-list.com/boatdetailpopup.asp?btsrefno=519389 6&callpage=externalbrokerlist

For more Ham (and Ley) class info suggest tca2000 website, e-mail the webmaster of the site with your questions he is a knowledgeable chap.

Looks like a part time navy page is needed as well.

Richard.

Indeed, all this talk of RNXS! my time was very short with them but interesting and enjoyable, on my weekend on the HAM we went to anchor and I had to miss the fish and chips lunch due to not feeling to good! but was fine for the rest of the trip!. In fact spent the whole second day in the galley preparing a roast dinner for the company at the insisitance of the CO, we left harbour and returned with myself and my oppo not seeing any of the trip. He was in fact a qualified ferry skipper but was starting at the bottom, though he could have skppered the craft and was probabley better qualified than most of the guys. Interesting pics of Pagham, still very much as origional from the out side it would seem.

JohnK

As you say every body no matter what rank they were in a previous occupation started at the bottom with the R.N.X.S. including an ex Cunard Master who had a young  R.N. Officer showing him what to do on the Plot until someone told him who the R.N.X.S. "novice" was, which was a story I was told by an R.N.X.S. member who I came across during S.T.U.F.T. duties in 1982.

Indeed, all good stuff re the GT boats and RNXS, I recall our lot were also a mixed bunch apart from my ferry capitan friend, I left a year or so before disbandment, a pity, some continue as the Maritime Volunteer Service I believe.

Johnk 

Also, in current Ship's Monthly, great article on the post war German developement of the diesel electric submarine touched on before, very interesting, at least I think so, they raised some wartime vessels to re use and evaluate, and the article talks about how advanced thier designs were and how everyone post war wanted them.

JohnK