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Old Ships - to repair or not to repair


ozm29c

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Fellows,

Makes an interesting read;

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/all-at-sea-in-rust-buckets/story-e6freooo-1225998324117

Manoora and Kanimbla were just entering service when I left the RAN in 94. I remember seeing both ships laid up for an extensive refit where the dockyard was replacing all of the wind waterline plating not to mention the major structural modifications. As a footnote the RAN still operates the Landing Craft Heavy which entered service from 72 to 74. The LCH is a true workhorse.

Cheers

John W.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Both these ships, are in a very poor state of repair, so much so one as just been decommissioned, the other will have major repair work done, that will take over a year.

 

These ships were 40 years before the RAN bought them, and spent more on updating them than the price of a new build ship. Surprise surprise the MOD have just decommissioned a bay class, and it lucks as if the RAN will be buying it or leasing it. A great ship, and only 4 years old, while there at it they should by RFA Fort George too......

 

Funny thing the RAN, just bought 4 new landing for $40 million, and they dont fit in the ships, so there scrapping them...

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Both these ships, are in a very poor state of repair, so much so one as just been decommissioned, the other will have major repair work done, that will take over a year.

 

These ships were 40 years before the RAN bought them, and spent more on updating them than the price of a new build ship. Surprise surprise the MOD have just decommissioned a bay class, and it lucks as if the RAN will be buying it or leasing it. A great ship, and only 4 years old, while there at it they should by RFA Fort George too......

 

Funny thing the RAN, just bought 4 new landing for $40 million, and they dont fit in the ships, so there scrapping them...

 

That seems to be common to all government projects be it RAN or RN.

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  • 1 month later...

I would suspect part of the problem the RAN ran into with Manoora and Kanimbla was a result of poor mothballing. From the 1940s through the late '60s/early '70s the USN had dedicated shipyard personnel to decommission and mothball ships who, incidentally, were the same guys who were responsible for taking care of them once they were mothballed. When the USN started outsourcing & privatizing these services they also started using the final cruise crew to decommission & mothball ships. Most of these guys (and now gals) had absolutely NO training in how to do this and the result was ships that were poorly prepared for long-term storage.

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There is a story of a USN ship being decommisoned. The ship had been gone through from stem to stern nothing out of place. The crew had sweated blood. The Inspecting Officer did his rounds and returned to the bridge. He said to the Captain 'Did the crew enjoy their last meal of a Turkey dinner abaord?' The Captain was astounded 'How did you know that sir?'

 

Inspecting Officer 'Because the cook left the remains in the oven'.

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