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Mtb 102

Polly

By Polly
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grendel

grendel

Posted
Posted

having been out to sea on the old girl, when filming Broad Ambition, an in company with two of HM finest, even with the engines she has - she has got a fair turn of speed, and if you ever get the opportunity to go to sea on her you should, its a magical experience.

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JamesLV

JamesLV

Posted
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14 minutes ago, grendel said:

having been out to sea on the old girl, when filming Broad Ambition, an in company with two of HM finest, even with the engines she has - she has got a fair turn of speed, and if you ever get the opportunity to go to sea on her you should, its a magical experience.

Oh trust me, I'd absolutely love to go out on her. She's amazing even with the current Cummins(?) motors, I was just reminiscing how awesome she would have sounded at full chat (wasn't that about 40 knots?) with the original petrol/avgas motors!

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stumpy

stumpy

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There used to be a liveaboard MTB at Woodbridge, the owner sold the original engines to finance the conversion and put a pair of (I think) big Cats in. He had permission to open her up between Waldringfield and Bawdsey  on a few winter days when most of the trot  moorings were empty. I did have a 35mm slide of her at full chat taken from the Waldingfield Maybush garden! 

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16E

16E

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By coincidence we've just got back from a week in Portmouth.  Down ther they've got HSL 102 a 64ft RAF high speed launch of 1936 vintage.   In her RAF colours, we saw her tootling about the harbour a couple of times.

3 napier Sealion engines - 500 miles range at 35 knots.  That will give you back-ache!

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BroadAmbition

BroadAmbition

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You know what this item is?

Of course you do, it is the original helm taken off MTB102 last month.  Looks in a sorry state doesn't it?  So would you  be if you had been out in all weather since the thirties.  Skipper Richard Bassey reckons it is the first time it has been removed, certainly since MTB102 has been under his watchful eye.

He had a right old carry on removing it, had to make a custom made puller to get it off.  So the helm is now with me.  I took it round to one of our 'Lads Week' crew in t neighbouring village (In fact he is one of our Skippers) who's hobby is restoring motorbikes.

The reason that the helm is now in my care is that I have a huge soft spot for MTB102 and like to help out whenever I can.  Last time out at sea onboard (Last year) I remarked to Richard the sorry state of the helm and why had it not been removed / powder coated?  I got 'That Look' then - 'No one has volunteered to do it'  Here was a chance for me - I volunteered for the job.

So, our motorbike restorer will paint strip and rub down the hand pegs only to a smooth finish as they are heavily pitted.  Then later this month it will go off with some motorbike parts to deepest Pontefract where it will be blasted then powder coated in black.  Back to me where I will exchange some beer chits for the job.  Back down to Norfolk, Richard to collect and then back onboard MTB102 where hopefully it will last another 80 odd years.  Completed photo to follow in due course

Griff

 

BA NBN 538.JPG

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FairTmiddlin

FairTmiddlin

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Yes I recognise that. I've had my sweaty mitts on it too, for a few nautical miles between Lowestoft and Yarmouth. Yes Richard verified that with the cummins engines installed top speed is about 25MPH. But, Boy when he opens her right up and that prow starts to rise, she starts cutting through the water and you realise she used to got a lot faster than that (39.8mph on shakedown trials). That's when the hairs on the back of your neck go into the up condition. From the coast of Norfolk to the coast of Holland and back in 4 hours is some going, Then you realise that the engines originally fitted drank aviation fuel at a rate that puts a jumbo jet to shame, you realise that half the weight of the boat was fuel. that these guys were sitting atop a bomb. Wow what a craft. 

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Vaughan

Vaughan

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7 hours ago, FairTmiddlin said:

Then you realise that the engines originally fitted drank aviation fuel at a rate that puts a jumbo jet to shame,

According to my father, the Packard Merlin engines used just over a gallon a minute of 101 octane petrol on each engine when running at full speed. 

Vospers were using a lot of Italian Isotta Fraschini engines before the war and these were fitted to all of their early "short 72" designs, of which MTB 102 was the prototype. They had superchargers fitted so probably used even more fuel than the Merlins.

Once war started they had to switch to building with Packards, as Italy had declared on the wrong side! These were the same as the Rolls Royce Merlin but built in the states under licence. 

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