Shoreham Harbour Cat

Shame about MGB 60 being lost, i know someone on the same lifeboat crew as the owner of the yard, luckily they managed to save an MTB also at the yard just in time

from all accounts S-97 was beyond practical economic restoration

but at least S-130 remains

http://www.bmpt.org.uk/boats/S130/index3.htm

The sad loss (due to arson) of MGB 60 midway through restoration was a significant blow though. Pictures of the work done are available on the website of the Lowestoft yard which did the work

http://www.newson.co.uk/boat_list.php?id=13

Anyone need a Schnellboot?

From this website:
http://www.prinzeugen.com/

…comes this very interesting link:
http://www.prinzeugen.com/S97.htm

& the daft buggers scrapped it.. 🙁

Vosper MTB’s come a close second to aircraft with me!

Here, here to that!

Oh yeah, Tornado drop tanks?

Looks like 2 x 100 gallon and 1 x 230 gallon Hunter tanks to me.

Found this pic on the net some time ago, no idea where it is though, apart from maybe Australia.

how about the concrete bit of the Mulberrry Harbour thats there? – i agree a fantastic place – often wonder if any merlins or Napiers are left in the HSLs or MTBS….

TT

As JDK mentioned,

A number of Catalina’s made their way onto the Murray River in Victoria/NSW Australia, with the static display composite PBY-5 at Lake Boga coming from the remains of a number of aircraft recovered in the Swan Hill and river area, while another was recovered to the Australian National Aviation Museum, an intact fuselage from PBY-5(M) A24-88 an ex 42Sqn RAAF black cat veteran of the long range mining of Manila Harbour.

Another ex RCAF Canadian PBY-5A still operates in Queensland as a house bout and uses its landing gear as beaching gear.

Moorabbin Catalina “houseboat”

Regards

Mark P

Personally i’d love a Vosper, probably wouldn’t cost as much as a warbird

Are you kidding…… 😮

With 3 x Packard V12 4M-2500’s and a fuel tank for 5000 gals of AVGAS…. 😀

Well if ‘Spruce Goose’ ever came up surplus – that would be my ideal home…… and just think of the apartments I could rent out in that….lol

I must take a wander down there – Vosper MTB’s come a close second to aircraft with me!

Personally i’d love a Vosper, probably wouldn’t cost as much as a warbird, plus i could live on it!

Shame it got burnt, that is a very catalina shaped outline, but didnt know it was made of wood.
Jay

Think you’ll find that it is described as a Thames Barge not a Catalina… and Cat’s weren’t wooden, nor that big……lol :diablo:

Shame it got burnt, that is a very catalina shaped outline, but didnt know it was made of wood.

Those houseboats look awesome. Shoreham is definitely a place I have to visit. Somewhere on the south coast, Brighton way?

Oh yeah, Tornado drop tanks?

Jay

A Familiar Place

As a child in the 60’s and 70’s I lived with my family on a Thames barge, the ‘Primrose’ on the houseboat stretch at Shoreham Beach. It’s still a fascinating place to visit, a real eclectic mix of boats with interesting histories occupied by owners who often wish to live an alternative, you might say Bohemian lifestyle. There’s not many places left where one can opt out of Barratt land and still be tolerated by the council. I attach a few photos of a fantastic (to my eyes) series of alterations made by a sculptor (he showed me around – he lives there) to his boats near our old mooring. The roof (which is not visible) is a time-expired Hawk mainplane.

May I indulge you with a memory or two? I was proud that we had the longest gangplank, and trod along its length many times, usually at dusk on bombing mssions with the empty milk bottles. I ‘dropped bombs’, with my aiming eye directly over the bottle, by moving forward at very slow walking pace and tipping the bottle to release the few drops of water. The splats as they hit the target (a knot in a plank) was most satisfying 🙂 Yes, time just flew by, but I was only about six, it was free, and I didn’t wreck anything!

Sorry to say the ‘Primrose’ was abandoned and burnt out years after we’d moved out, after the hull was accidently holed. The photo showing the sorry outline of a boat is what’s left of her. The metal ‘spine’ visible (the kilson) doubled as our carpet covered seat for us kids to watch TV. We spent much of the Summer on deck of course, and my love of aircraft started there as the circuit from Shoreham Airport was usually busy. I could cycle there in 10 minutes, or 7 if I recognised the growl of MH434’s Merlin on one of her occasional visits.

I don’t remember a Catalina hull on my last visit, but, knowing the ingenuity of those that live on the houseboats, it wouldn’t suprise me if one was there.

Oh yes, I’m sure someone will spot the aviation related items in one photo. They are used as flotation aids – clever, eh? They light, and they ain’t gonna leak!

Happy days.

Cannot add anymore than two friends have seen said item and both are very aircraft minded. It’s supposedly very modified and has has some more recent modifications to further disguise it’s origins. I must take a wander down there – Vosper MTB’s come a close second to aircraft with me!

There’s certainly been a Catalina houseboat in Australia, and a Dornier Do-24 houseboat on the Murray (northern Victoria) whi I understand is still there.

I walked along there after this years Shorham airshow.. spotted a couple of old coaches and a fire engine attached to a to houseboats, but nothing Catalina shaped..
Neil.

David,

Is this Catalina new? Well disguised/modified? Sunk?

I had friends who lived on Shoreham Beach, the spur of land formed at the mouth of the Adur, through the 1970s/80s/90s.

I have walked that stretch of protected area, where the houseboats are, many times. Ex Navy MTB’s and Air Sea Rescue high speed craft, yes, but I think I would have spotted a Catalina.

Intrigued.

Mark

Wow, haven’t heard of that but would be interesting to see. Theres a lot of old Motor Torpedo Boats and similar ex-navy vessels used as houseboats, would be nice if a couple were restored.