Radio
Ships or Pipe Dream?
There's
been much speculation about a new offshore station
Here
are the first published pictures of the vessels
The "Grampian
Dawn" formerly "Ben Strome" has a tonnage of 272GRT,
89NRT, is 37.9 metres long, 7.75 metres in beam, & has a 3.18
metre draft
She was built
in 1962 by J Lewis & Sons of Aberdeen, yard number 318, &
registered to North Star Shipping, owned by George Craig &
Sons
She was converted
into a side trawler in 1980 & classed until 15/7/83 before
becoming a motor standby safety vessel - pollution control, in
her role as a rig support ship
The "Grampian
Princess" formerly "Linden Lea" was built in the
same yard in 1960, number 292 & had the same owners
Tonnage, 280GRT,
95NRT, she's 36.89 metres long, 7.88 metres in beam with a draft
of 3.89 metres & similarily was converted to a side trawler
& classed until 8/4/83 before her role as a rig support ship
Both vessels were
purchased recently by an offshore devotee for fitting out as radio
ships with one ship destined for RSL broadcasts around the UK
Both ships have
Mirrlees 712 BHP engines, & whilst the ancillory engines &
generators are reasonable, neither ship has turned a propeller
since legislation over 10 years ago put them out of service. Therefore
they were towed from London to Ipswich Docks
From the fore peak of the ballasted Grampian
Dawn, it was rumoured that one of the ships could have found it's way to the
sea!
An Offshore
Montage of how the radio ship might have sounded
Starboard side
of the Grampian Dawn clearly showing the signs of decay &
neglect
Starboard stern
of both ships
The Princess from
Dawn & her own fore peak
The Grampians
from Princess stern deck
Grampian Princess
rear starboard side
Stern view of the proposed radio ships
Grampian Princess & Dawn Plans were going ahead to moor one ship off the
Irish Coast & again broadcast as Radio London or was it a pipe dream!
Who could possibly say!
[HOME] (c)Bob Le-Roi 2002
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