| Subject: |
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Re: Tracing the history of a Trinity house tender |
| Name: |
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Patrick Tubby |
| Date Posted: |
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Apr 24, 06 - 9:56 PM |
| Email: |
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patricktubby@supanet.com |
| Message: |
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Hi Neil,
I was interested to read your request for assistance with information regarding the Trinity House vessel Burhou. Contrary to your email, she was not a lighthouse tender, hence the lack of information in Richard Woodman’s book “Keepers of the Sea” (which incidentally was republished last year in an expanded and revised edition by Chaffcutter Books ISBN 0 9532422 8 5).
Burhou was a Trinity House workboat originally built for the Admiralty in 1945 by James Martin & Sons, Granton, Edinburgh, and taken on by TH in 1948. She originally had a wooden wheelhouse, but this was removed in 1982 and replaced with a larger alloy deckhouse. She is mentioned in various TH publications, and the March 1989 issue of FLASH, the TH journal, has a lengthy feature on the then fleet of TH workboats, the others being Triton, Satellite, Lodesman, and St. Tudwal. The article shows a good side on view of Burhou.
The following information comes from the FLASH article.
“The Trinity House Lighthouse Service has employed a variety of Offshore Craft over the years, one of the longest serving being THL Burhou purchased in 1948, and still in regular use. THL Burhou started life as MFV 613 built for the Admiralty in 1945. The Admiralty built a large number of MFVs during the War, in three sizes 50 feet, 60 feet, and 70 feet lengths, of which Trinity House have favoured the smallest. A large number of these craft can still be seen around the British Isles today, being very popular with fishermen and private boat owners alike, for their heavy construction and good sea keeping qualities, despite the fact that they do have a reputation for rolling.
“Burhou was purchased in 1948 and was in service in the Channel Islands, stationed at Alderney from 1948 to 1972, part of her duty being the relief of the Casquets Lighthouse. In 1952 the vessel was fitted with sails, to reduce excessive rolling, a gaff mainsail and foresail being provided at the request of the then Officer-in-Charge, Mr Nick Allen, who being a keen yachtsman, was happy to sail the vessel if there was a mechanical breakdown.
“With the advent of helicopter reliefs, THL Burhou transferred to Cowes in 1972 and was used as a workboat in The Solent until 1974. The sails were removed in 1974 and the vessel transferred to Barry for relief work in the Bristol Channel where she still carried out sterling service on maintenance tasks.”
At the time the FLASH article was written, THL Burhou was still based in Barry in South Wales, primarily used for tending to buoy casualties and routine buoy maintenance. She seems to have been sold by TH later in 1989, as she no longer appears on fleet lists beyond June of that year.
In the September 1992 issue of FLASH, River Dee Pilot, John Southwood, has sent in a picture of the Burhou lying at the Severn Motorboat and Yacht Club, Kemsey, near Worcester.
I hope you find this information of use.
Regards,
Patrick Tubby
Happisburgh Lighthouse Trustee
www.happisburgh.org |
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