Hm Ships / Mtb102 / Nbn

[Baitrunner]

Iain and there I was thinking it was me?

well we snuck in shot with a bit of photo bombing and to be fair, if it wasn't for my crew the TV team would have been stuck with griff for at least another hour!! Wouldn't wish that on anyone!

it was a great couple of days and all praise to the Griff for setting it up. 

[BroadScot]

19 minutes ago, Baitrunner said:

the TV team would have been stuck with griff for at least another hour!! 

Ah, perhaps Griff was being booked up for BGT I have read on here that his jokes are amazing, or something like that, Mark !!! 

Iain

[JennyMorgan]

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2016-07-21/lovingly-restored-broads-cruiser-given-royal-navy-escort-out-of-yarmouth/

[JanetAnne]

Got 'caught in a bridge' Wednesday in GY. Couldn't see the culprits except for the top of one of their masts(Baitrunner's I reckon) due to the high walls but as we drove over a couple of minutes later this chap was just in the process of boarding the 102!

[Baitrunner]

Ha ha - funny because I said to my crew it's nice to see the traffic stop for us to go through, but I bet if it was me in the car I would be fuming!!!

All 4 of us came through together, including BA. They tied up straight away and the rest of us went out to sea to have a nose and see if we could go out and meet the naval ships. As reported before way too rough though. Shame you didn't hang around until about 5pm and get a picture as we had a good flotilla of 7 boats coming into the town.

[Lastdraft]

Thoroughly enjoyed meeting the Navy , thought I was going to meet my maker when Griff said, you go out and meet the two ships as they enter harbour....................let me know what the sea state is ?!!!    ........................  different again 16 hours later, enjoyed a smooth (ish) passage down the coast to Lowestoft.

Another well organised Griff production.

 

 

 

a_bit_choppy.MOV

[grendel]

great fun was had by All Richard from MTB102 had a huge grin on his face at the end when we hared off leaving the two Navy ships in our Diesel fumes, they were about half a mile behind by the end of that run, and Richard said it cleared all the oil out of the turbo's nicely.

[BroadAmbition]

Home at 2300, proper tired, suntanned like I have been in the Med!  I'll get a write up done this week as and when I get a minute, back to the grindstone in t morning

Griff

[grendel]

I too will post more later, off to take the Mother in law to her hospital appointment in a few minutes.

[grendel]

just a taster. BA with HMS Explorer

[Hockham Admiral]

Beautiful!         

[BroadScot]

Brilliant pic! 

[BroadAmbition]

Look at that, Explorer is 60ft long, 'B.A' appears to have morphed to 58ft, I feel. bigger toll fee coming my way!

Griff

[grendel]

 

[grendel]

this is just the raw unedited video clip, as I was also trying to get the still shots at the same time it was tricky adjusting where the camera was pointed.

[LondonRascal]

Well what a week that was - despite the fact I was not 'firing on all cylinders' having been on antibiotics up to the day before going and under strict orders to stay out of the sun - and then being in the sun a great deal which made my skin super sensitive and painful but the whole event and everything connected to it will certainly be remembered for a long time to come.

I'll not get too soppy with this, but suffice to say what a generous and decent real gentleman Charlie is.  This was something deeply meaningful for him personally but he invited people to come along, be it in their own boats or pay for a trip on MTB 102 and share in the moment. 

When the camera crew were on Broad Ambition and suddenly a mini-interview was being conducted, Explorer was astern of Broad Ambition and you could see the moment Charlie saw the whole picture - All those years, the hard work and money restoring Broad Ambition and then having Explorer cruising along with her amongst the company of MTB 102 and Trumpeter was clearly an emotional moment.

I've got a bunch of footage myself and some clips from Grendal too and will use this along with the news footage to produce a special video to mark this event (just give me a few days).

For me there was some highlights being able to have a tour on board Explorer and see how life is, being on Broad Ambition once again in the salty stuff and helming her most of the way to and then into Lowerstoft Harbour itself alongside MTB 102. 

It did not end there though, for we then spent some great times cruising the rivers both south and north, meeting some Forum members I had not previously in person and feeling like it all happened too quickly and time to return to work.  We had several people come and talk to us about Broad Ambition and have a tour and the ex-RN and RAF company on the boat added to a good time, with stories shared and some good old colourful naval language hehe.

[grendel]

Robin, you forgot the consumption of Beer in your description, Personally I drank more last week than in several years previously, and I was the one taking it easy and  mostly drinking halves to  the rests pints,and then there was Griffs special early morning coffee.

[BroadScot]

8 minutes ago, grendel said:

Robin, you forgot the consumption of Beer in your description, Personally I drank more last week than in several years previously, and I was the one taking it easy and  mostly drinking halves to  the rests pints,and then there was Griffs special early morning coffee.

Its a Yorkshire failing Grendal, they never do anything by half !!! 

Iain

[Vaughan]

Griff, and all others involved, my heartiest congratulations on a memorable event. I wish I could have been there!

I am posting this photo as I noticed, in the video from Anglia TV, that the skipper of MTB102 was wearing a shirt with the crest of Coastal Forces MTB's on it. 

The photo below is of MTB07, one of the 2nd MTB Flotilla in Hong Kong in 1937. My father is on the port side of the bridge (known by MTB's as the conning tower) and the boat is at full speed. 37 knots on 3 Napier Lion engines.

The MTB crest can be seen mounted on the spray rail on the front of the conning tower.

 

The canisters on the side decks are depth charges but the torpedoes were stored on rails in the engine room and launched backwards through ports in the transom. The MTB then got out of the way while the torpedoes ran underneath!

Hence the motto which goes with the crest of Coastal Forces MTBs :

Caude spiculum  caveo.

"Beware the sting in the tail".

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Robin / Grendel / Baitrunner / Lastdraft / The crew of 'B.A', MTB102, HM Ships Explorer / Trumpeter etc etc, in fact everyone who came along and helped or just enjoyed the days with me and 'B.A' - I'm proper grateful you all were there to share some pretty special moments.  I now have quite a few thank you's to attend to but will hang fire for now until Robin has produced his latest masterpiece of his captains blog then I can send them the link for it.  Vaughan - I have copied your post along with photo and forwarded it to Richard - Skipper of MTB102 who I know will find it interesting just as I have - Good of you  Oh and a special mention for Lastdraft poking his bow out of the breakwater Wednesday late afternoon when in hindsight he had no business doing so - that took some decent size 'cajoles' and stopped the rest of us getting proper embarrassed !

The proudest moment for me was 'B.A' being 'Flag Golf' or in civvy speak 'The Guide' whilst leading MTB102, Explorer / Trumpeter down the Yare out to sea.  I very nearly lost it right there and then which would not have been my most enjoyable experience right in front of a girly ITV news journalist, not to mention her aide and Robin, who between them had enough cameras / techy stuff to cover an Olympic event.

Both Wednesday and Thursday were very memorable, Memories I shall cherish.  It just does not get any better than this. That is one huge tick off the bucket list.

Thank you one and all

I still sometimes can't quite comprehend the journey that R641 has taken us on and is still doing so. We have been her custodians since 2002, nine years come this October since she was re-commissioned, which she will mark with yet another 'Lads Week'.  I kinda know that she is grateful that we saved her with that marathon restoration, she continues to surprise and delight me year by year, whether it be a quiet moment on a wild mooring, enjoying the limelight or just plain showing off,  just knowing she is there ready to go at a moments notice, it matters not.  If boats really do have a soul, then 'B.A' is enjoying being here immensely and seems no sign of showing her age - 50 this year, young by many woodies standards but sailing on strong and proud none the less

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Yet another humbling moment when 'B.A' was presented with a Ships Badge from the Executive Officer HMS Explorer

Griff

 

 

 

[Baitrunner]

Griff,

    Both you and BA did yourselves proud and I was pleased to be in the background and invited along. Make the most of that once in a lifetime moment  

You never know after the success of this event what might come next?

can we get destroyers and frigates up to Town Hall Quay?

[BroadAmbition]

can we get destroyers and frigates up to Town Hall Quay?

Probably.  Sadly all of the 'Big Ships' I served on are no longer in commission.  And NO before anyone suggests it, HMS Victory is no longer at sea!

Griff

[Bound2Please]

5 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

And NO before anyone suggests it, HMS Victory is no longer at sea!

 

Griff

Not up up for another restoration then Griff??????

Charlie

[JennyMorgan]

43 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

can we get destroyers and frigates up to Town Hall Quay?

Probably.  Sadly all of the 'Big Ships' I served on are no longer in commission.  And NO before anyone suggests it, HMS Victory is no longer at sea!

Griff

And had you served at sea aboard Victory then maybe you would have served under a man of Norfolk

Were there any similar seagoing heroes from Yorkshire?