SELLING OURSELVES DOWN THE RIVER

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

The way I read a further article is, that over £60 million was spent on Ocean before she was sold. Probably changing all notices and signage to Portuguese, and threw in new engines as well.

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Surprising how much a refit costs, the actual money spent on the vessel is a fraction of the total cost, its the fees the shipyard charge for dock or floating dock and the fees for the work, a prime example is it cost £10000 just to replace a control room tiled floor I know of, not a big floor area either........

Although you mention the engines Gil, it would of been a huge benefit and bigger seller for the Ocean to replace the Pielstick main engines.......

Marine Engines are ordered in advance of a build, unless the big companies have a few ready to go....... and this is only down to cancelled orders etc.

I only mention that, because I know from recently trying to buy a C130 for our museum. It came as is, flying condition etc but no servicing nothing, just the way it was parked at St Athen ready for sale. Probably sold to a third world country for hauling of cargo.
One careful owner ..................the RAF.

Needless to say all we wanted was a fuselage...................when I think back to the JCB cutters dropping on the Nimrod fuselages up in Scotland five years ago.
There is no ryhme or reason behind anything MOD does, it is totally irrational and wasteful.
I suppose as long as "we" all pay our taxes why should they care!!
I would just love to meet the people who make these decisions on whether to spend to sell or not!!!

Sometimes, acquisition of '.....things' is down to a few phone calls to '.....people'. One of the TA centres round here needed a new range hut for their replacement 25 metre outdoor full and small bore range. There was no money for one, no matter how the purse strings were plucked. That was until had a good idea........ Some of the old Bedford machinery lorries were being withdrawn. And wouldn't you just know it...., the box body, less the thousands of ££££'s worth of machinery, was JUST the ideal size was the suggestion from 'someone in the know'. So the box body was removed, stripped of the machinery, box body taken by the recovery blokes to, er...., where it was needed. Old Bedford lorry, now in chassis and cab configuration sent away for disposal and to this day, nobody was any the wiser. Box body STILL in use today after 25 years of use.

Can't say that this would work for a Hercules but you never know

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Originally Posted by bigduke6

Gil,

...Anyway back to ships, The RFA had about 4 vessels laid up in Camel Lairds...

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Hmm? Camel Lairds? Is that a Scots expression for Arabian sheikhs , with their "ships of the desert"?

(Just fun, obviously you meant Cammell Laird)

Peter,
Absolutely, thats what I tried with a direct contact at MOD, by the time she told me they were now up for sale, a company in Romford had sold them............unbelievable, but in tact.
Its not what you know in life its who you know.
All we need is a fuselage doors and rear ramp for the obvious at the museum.
One day we'll get there, the way this lot are going!!!;)

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

. So the box body was removed, stripped of the machinery,

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I can only guess the Machinery may of become a burden and a volunteer or two knew the best way to relocate it.....

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

Its not what you know in life its who you know.

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and at the right time too......;)

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Originally Posted by Gil Boyd

I only mention that, because

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Gil I only mention the engines as I had a quick look at what engines the ocean had.......... Pielsticks !!!!! think of the worst car or car engine you have had and x by 10 it will = a Pielstick. I was very lucky as a ship I joined had not long had 3 of the pielstick generators replaced with 3x B&W Burmeister & Wain generators.......

Even at times we had to start one of the remaining Pielsticks at stand-by and it was always with the fingers crossed..... either the engines for the Ocean were free or someone without the slightest knowledge of Marine Diesel Engines got ripped off by a sales man, then again being the MOD it all becomes clear.....

On sea trials Queen Elizabeth had to return urgently because the engine room was filling with water they couldn't pump out quick enough!! You couldn't write this stuff could you? So all in all we haven't progressed much then over the years.

HMS Queen Elizabeth leak: Navy

At least the new Defence Secretary Williamson has an interest, he is also trying to stop the hounding of soldiers who fought in past campaigns.

On another subject close to the thread. Today the Royal Air Force will fly over London in a massive display, lets hope there are a few more aircraft than they had on the Queens birthday flypast!!!!
Click on the blue plane panel to see whats flying

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