# PLA salvage boat 'Broadness'



## Powertrain (Jul 15, 2011)

In the late 1960s I was involved with the commissioning and trials of a very ugly boat built for the Port of London Authority. She was built at a small boat-yard based near Faversham but I have no idea of their name.
Could anybody tell me of the boat-yard name - I think they used to also build London river barges and the Broadness was designed to salvage sunken barges.
I would also like to know what happen to Broadness - I heard a rumour that it was sunk (?!)


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## scorcher (Jul 2, 2007)

Hello Powertrain

These details are from Lloyds Register;
Built 1965 235 tgr Blt by J.PollockSons & Co Ltd,Faversham.2 oil 4SA each 8 cyl Rolls Royce.
Cannot find details of her demise at present. Hope this helps?


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## gretaston (Jan 7, 2011)

Go to GOOGLE tap in (SHIP NAMED BROADNESS)
scroll down to BROADNESS- ship spotting.com- ships photos and ship tracker.


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

Picture of her as MCL II in our gallery.


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## camelotpacific (Nov 11, 2007)

The Broadness and Stoneness were the two Diesel/Electric boats,and as
already mentioned were disposed of.
The Hookness and Crossness were conventional Diesel,although the Rolls
were removed and replaced with I believe CATs.These boats are still in use by PLA.


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## Powertrain (Jul 15, 2011)

Thanks to to all; through this site I am learning where to find my past as I try to write it down for my grandchildren.
Now the Broadness has the name MCL 11 she is no prettier than I remember.
There was an epicylic gear unit between the main drive motor and propellor (which was why I was involved) that was so compact that it looked like, an assumed to be by many, a conventional thrust block - wonder if its ever been serviced?
Pollocks Shipyard had an Allen S12 type diesel generator for some reason; I went to have a look at it while waiting to go onboard Broadness. It had a crack in the main frame that was weeping oil into a catch-can. I mentioned this to their engineer who told me the damage had been caused by a bomb during the blitz some 26 or more year previously but it hadn't got any worse - not sure you could have that happen to some modern machines


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