The Ship Model Forum

Spotted this thing at Chatham Dockyards, looks like it is made out of oil drums, it has twin screws, diving planes etc, (I couldn't get a pic of them, too much stuff in the way). I dont think I'd want to go in it

That is funny

Hope too that the 'builder' will not dive in it - although looking his build I understand he "takes it seriously".

Yevgeniy

Cool oil drums, but I really like the white Victorian ship in the background!

Jack

Hi Jack, the white ship is HMS Gannet, a Victorian Sloop from 1878, I've got to go out right now but I'll stick some more pics up when I get back if you want

There's a walkaround of HMS Gannet on this site, either by Jim Baumann or Jorit, if I recall.

Here's my little walkaround,

more of the same,

thats it folks,,, Jack, if you want full resolution pics, let me know and I'll send them to you

Hi Aidan,

Those are wonderful pictures. It looks like you had a very pleasant outing. Rather a nice "yacht", wouldn't you say?

No need to send me full res. The pics you posted are already quite sharp!

The only "Victorian" warship near me is the cruiser Olympia in Philadelphia. One day, I'll make it up there and see if I can match your quality.

Best,

Jack

Hi Jack, yes indeed, she is a beautiful ship, the quality of the restoration is amazing, the ship was absolutely spotless. It's a credit to the restoration team, especially when you consider she was converted into a Cadet Training ship, TS Mecury in I believe 1914 or thereabouts. All the machinary, fittings, guns etc were removed as well as the entire mast and rig set up and a large dormetory type structure added to the upper deck. At present the engines are missing, she had twin boilers, a compound steam engine and a single, retractable screw propeller although one of the staff there said are hoping to replace them sometime in the future. This what she looked like as a training ship,,,
and this is how she looked when she arrived at Chatham,,,
all in all I think they have done a superb job on her.

A houseboat!

Indeed, she looks like a floating apartment block, you'd never guess it's the same ship.

Isn't there a similarly converted C-class cruiser on the Thames near the City?

Jack

No. The only surviving C-class cruiser is HMS Caroline, in Belfast as a drill ship. She does have some drill halls as part of her superstructure.

HMS Gannet, as seen at Chatham is externally complete, but internally much of her is empty space, the boilers and engines removed at the time she became a drill ship.

The drill ship on the Thames is a WW1 Flower class, grouped as part of HMS President. She was originally (IIRC) HMS Saxifrage.

Ohter warships moored on the Thames are HMS Wellington (sloop) as the headquarters of the Master Mariners and HMS Belfast (light cruiser) as a museum.

Rob

My bad. It was Wellington I was thinking of!

Jack