Not a quiz :) just asking.What is it?

[No Signals]

Minesweeper? Fishery protection? Foreign?

Four of them came up the Tyne, line astern, early Friday morning. 'Scuse the crappy shot but they were a long way off!

[ted angus]

Could you read the number or at least the prefix

 

TED is that south Shields ??

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

First sight they look like Customs or fishery,that other boat is braking the speed limit by the look of it.dunno.

[Degsy]

First sight they look like Customs or fishery,that other boat is braking the speed limit by the look of it.dunno.

 

 

Neither if the info on the web is to be believed although it does look quite similar to a River Class patrol vessel.

[No Signals]

Could you read the number or at least the prefix

 

TED is that south Shields ??

 

I've had a look zoomed in on the original but it is still very unclear, possibly an F or P with three numerals. Obviously not F for frigate though.

 

Yes Ted, it is taken looking across towards South Shields from Tynemouth

[No Signals]

First sight they look like Customs or fishery,that other boat is braking the speed limit by the look of it.dunno.

 

The 'other boat' in the background I think was one of the pilot boats on its way out to drop one off at one of the boats further back down the line. The speed he was going at seemed usual for pilot boats in that area. But I wouldn't argue with anyone who knew he was breaking the rules

[No Signals]

Inspection of another shot of number two in the line shows a slighly different superstructure, less radar/whatever on the front end of the top of the bridge. A different paint pattern on the hull. This could be the action of light but I'm not convinced.

[ted angus]

I will put half a days pension on it being one of the NATO standing Minesweeping/Hunting Sqns. They used to be a frequent visitor to Dundee and we would get an invite down for a tiffin or tot !! Since all the yuppee flats were built -- if there is such a thing in Dundee --- I haven't seen them. My son who is on a Leuchars sqn would be able to tell me by making a call but unfortunately he is keeping pengiuns company at the moment.

Mind I could phone my daughter at Pelaw to have a drive along the Tyne but I can imagine the polite answer similar to my requests for fire engine pictures from the Hebburn station !! LOL

TED

[Snapper]

Nice to see the scene for me. My grandfather's ship HMS Southsea went down around there in 1941. I've never had a chance to visit the spot.

 

M

[AlienFTM]

Despite growing up just a few miles from South Shields, I am not at all familiar with the mouth of the Tyne. I was going to suggest that the boat making the wake is heading upstream against a strong river flow in the Tyne, but obviously if we are looking toward South Shields, that boat is heading downstream.

 

I'd suggest if the tide is flowing at its maximum (was there a spring tide?), a boat moving against it could create a more prominent wake than you'd think. Since this would imply that the other boat is moving with the tide, it would explain the difference between the two.

 

That said, tide flowing against the river, I'd have expected the surface to be rather choppier. I guess the boat is motoring then.

[No Signals]

Despite growing up just a few miles from South Shields, I am not at all familiar with the mouth of the Tyne. I was going to suggest that the boat making the wake is heading upstream against a strong river flow in the Tyne, but obviously if we are looking toward South Shields, that boat is heading downstream.

 

I'd suggest if the tide is flowing at its maximum (was there a spring tide?), a boat moving against it could create a more prominent wake than you'd think. Since this would imply that the other boat is moving with the tide, it would explain the difference between the two.

 

That said, tide flowing against the river, I'd have expected the surface to be rather choppier. I guess the boat is motoring then.

 

The water was particularly flat that morning, the shots out to sea show it pretty faithfully as to how it was. The photo is deceptive regarding showing the width of the estuary at that point. If you were to Google Earth Tynemouth castle & priory you will see a road at the left of the site. The shot was taken down the angle of that road and extended across you can see it is quite a distance, more than half a mile? The pilot boats, and most other small craft, at that point regularly increase their spped, I think it is something to do with having passsed a marker on the south bank. To me, as a fairly regular visitor, the speed of the outgoing craft was not out of the ordinary. I dont think there was a spring tide that day, it didnt get very high, but it was on its way in. The naval craft was creeping in at the very steady pace of most incoming craft.

 

By way of a comparison regarding the water I post this pic taken about a year ago. Taken from a little further down the road in the first pic. You may see there is a lighthouse on both pier heads. It is just that the waves are higher than the lighthouse on the nearer pier!