This summer, the Royal Navy swapped the broad expanse of the sea for the narrow canals and lochs of Scotland, offering university students an authentic glimpse of life in the Fleet, say the Royal Navy.
The patrol boats involved, HMS Charger, Smiter, Biter, and Blazer, hosted undergraduate students from various UK universities.
Their summer deployment navigates around the scenic highlands and islands of Scotland.
These vessels have not only served as a maritime classroom for the students but have also displayed their adeptness in traversing the narrowest man-made waterways.
Two such routes include the Crinan Canal, which links Loch Fyne with the Atlantic, and the Caledonian Canal, which ties a series of lochs, including Loch Ness, permitting passage from the west coast to the Moray Firth.
Navigating through these waterways is no easy task. For instance, the Crinan Canal, though just nine miles long, took HMS Charger two days to complete. The patrol boat had to negotiate 15 locks and seven swing/retractable bridges during the transit.
In spite of being one of the smallest vessels in the Royal Navy’s inventory, at under 21 metres long and just five metres wide, the canals’ narrow passages posed significant challenges. Lieutenant Andrew Bonham, the boat’s commanding officer, said, “At the narrowest points, there were just 40 centimetres space sideways… and a mere 10cm under the keel.”
I can see it coming….
No Royal Navy ships in Scottish waters?
Ha. No. I thought I was being too vague. There’s a certain poster who often comments on the utility of the Archers, or lack of!
As long as they get a 76mm on the deck I’m fine. 😛
Needs Martlet mate. I don’t know what the URNU are coming too 🙄
I figured they’d go in the VLS cells.
Strike length? 😏
NSM, MK4, HARPOON? THE Iranians have cruise missiles mounted on the roof of the black stock, marine motor yachts!
Would a Mk 41 system affect the seagoing ability?👍❓🏴🏴
Or rather the canal keeping stability!
The whole flipping boat would fitt in a cell
Bigger than the regular RN
76!!!!!!! Excellent 👌
I hate the fact that the navy wastes money and much needed sailors on them. Expensive ‘fanny’ boats for the hooray Henry’s to play around in.yes they have their uses, but I think a proper military role should be a higher aspiration for them many nations include missile boats and torpedo boats I n their front line inventory.fitted for, but not with (again,)a 20mm cannon, I’d go with the scorpion light torpedo fit an drill them in proper patrol (or to work, in tandem with a T31 duties outside our main naval bases(because we don’t operate any.
Except for the harbour patrol boat with six ‘rambo’ coppers on it.
That poster, would be me. I think they’re wasted resources for the university crowd. If we give our naval ships the H.M.S. PREFIX, it denoted that the vessel is a part of the U.k. military, and should be equipped to carry out such military role’s as directed, either fit them out properly as credible royal navy ships with the 20mm and maybe a scorpion torpedo, or just get rid of them.
Yes mate! 😀 I knew you’d comment, I’d rememberef your desire for the Archers all these years.
Better suited to the duckpond
If their role is offensive then they should have appropriate weapons. But it is a fast inshore patrol boat. Which enemies of the state might they encounter inshore?
They have 3 GPMGs and would mount the Oerlikon 20mm in case they have to face a threat.
That other secondary role of training prospective naval officers. You clearly think training is unimportant.
Our navy must embrace the full spectrum and include small lightly armed boats as well as the ocean going warfighting stuff.
Tree Huggers from outside faslane or the rag tail pikey camps littering the land around the U.K
👎😆😆
Are they the armoured ones!!?!!
Why it’s our waters
Traveled through the Caledonian canal wile serving on board HMS Vigilant in 1978
Were the university crew doing the steering?
Peddled the length of it when I still has two legs 13 years ago
Fascinated w/ some of the ship names (e g., Smiter, Biter, etc.). Reminiscent of some of the swords named in J.R R. Tolkien’s novels? 🤔
Guess the more appropriate terminology would be vessels or patrol boats…
‘fanny boats🤭
As a JRR Tolkien ( he was a genius ) and LOTR nut, I can see where you’re coming from. 😀 HMS Sting would suit.
I wouldn’t mind HMS Foehammer.
HMS Glamdring! 🤣 Yes, FoeHammer sounds better.
h.m.s screwdriver
😂
Names of WW2 RN escort carriers.
H.M.S Gandalf
Now you’re talking mate. 👍 HMS Grey Pilgrim?
Mithrandir had so many names he could do the entire class himself. Not so sure how the crew of HMS Stormcrow would react, but I quite like it.
😅!! I had not thought of that one! Love it.
Thanks. 👍
🐒🐒😆😆😆
Why not? Develops teamwork, boat handing and manoeuvring skills.
Shhhhh, Andy’s about.
😜
🤪👍 lol mate.
At least they can’t get lost on a canal
Challenge accepted
perhaps at a pub?
I hope they had their cameras with them…. Beautiful part of the world….
I’d be nervous if I were navigating those canals! Just 10cm to the canal bottom!
Hopefully nobody has stored a shopping trolley or gas cylinder on the bottom of the canal.
Presume the option of portage always remains? 😁
Excellent I know that canal. Proper sailing done properly
The Crinan canal,is tiny and mainly used by Yachts, the Caledonian was originally design so a 32 gun RN frigate could sail from one side of Scotland to, the other.
Would it have fitted th lock’s? Or would it damage the hull mounted sonar?
Well of course it would, the lock is full of water at all times and probably has deeper water than the canal itself.
As for being plastic boats or just playthings for Hooray Henry’s they are assigned to the University so that future officers and engineers get some idea of how a boat works whilst they do their degrees.
Most will have signed up as Regulars and their education is sponsored by the RN.
A university is nothing to do with the navy these boats would be better served operating in city or coastal areas
I am British which means I naturally will defend your right to an opinion. Unfortunately myself, MOD and the RN do think that the future RN engineering and graduate officer intake should actually have some knowledge of the floaty, boaty things in an environment before they can do much damage. 😉
Ha, Floaty Mcboaty!
Are they still in commission? Must be almost 50 yrs old! I’m over 70 and served on P20s.
They are 35 to 38 years old. HMS Archer, the first in class, was commissioned in 1985. My uncle had a hand in building them while at VT.
I think a few were added much later for Faslane.
Was part of Collingwood staff who took out baby tiffs on the P2000s a few times in the late 90s.
Did a few trips from Brighton RNR and Liverpool RNR using their boats.
One of the trips from Liverpool was a nightmare as the sea was really rough and we just couldn’t justify the risk of going out into the Irish Sea to try to get to Holyhead. So up the Ship Canal, under the Runcorn Bridge as far as Latchford (Warrington being where I grew up in later life), turn around, down to the Canal Museum at Elsmere Port and then back into the estuary for some navigation fun.
Good boats. Needed re-engining though in later life. They used to have CV8 tank engines that where long in the tooth even then.
No VLS (!) but you could mount a 20mm GamB01 on them if you had to.
Did make me giggle, the Lt CDR (who was in charge) on the radio “Port Control this is Warship Biter over” …you could hear Port Control thinking WTF! You are a 21m motor boat!
Another old sea story that I’d like to share, I was on th converted ham class sweeper h.m.s echo, all wooden thing, as old as the hills, th morning Watchmen was required to write the details of the shipping forecast so that th the skipper could decide whether to go out, or stay in Lowestoft for the day!!
Apologies for the grammar and spelling there.
Believe me a day in Lowestoft is not a good thing
hats off to the lads and lasses onboard I was with royal fleet auxiliary for 22 years .had our own cabins .heard they can have up to 18 crew 😳onboard these patrol boats .talk about cramped conditions….and food to prepare in a tiny galley..and what about showers /toilets.and mess areas..BZ to them
HAD YOUR OWN CABIN???I SHARED MY BEDROOM WITH 60 SMELLY NEANDERTHAL KNUCKLE draggers from the Stokers mess😭😭
I suppose that these days another HMS Speaker would have too much of a connection with politics (and their ugly connotations) – the pollies of the 1940’s had more of a sense of honur than today. (Yes, I have a personal connection with HMS Speaker of WW2 vintage!)
H.m.s scrappy
not in the channel where needed?
Maybe we should send them to intercept the illegals take off the boats driver, then sink th boat with the mighty weaponry.or just give them another Jerry can of fuel and send them back, then the smugglers would have to use the ‘blood money’ on buying a new boat
HMS kingfisher went through the Caledonian canal in thee 70s . Birdclass patrol boat
Maybe we can turn the archers into drones
Have they found the way out yet?