# Bit of detective work?



## graymay (Aug 2, 2007)

Could anyone please help identify the vessel in the background behind the fishing boat?
It is late 60's to early 70's and is taken in Lossiemouth?


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

Could that be a landing craft type loading ramp? I have my doubts.


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## graymay (Aug 2, 2007)

Never remember a landing craft in those days, all small coal boats and dredgers, however now that you point that out?


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## graymay (Aug 2, 2007)

The clue should be in the name Fun**ion?


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

"Function" ?


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## graymay (Aug 2, 2007)

Ive tried that, no joy!


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## RHP (Nov 1, 2007)

I thought it was Function but could find nothing. It appears to be an attachment on the bow, maybe a cable layer fitting... I failed to come up with anything though. Good puzzle.

Registration INS.11 has appeared on a few boats since then, Bonnie Lass and the current Enterprise for example. Out of interest do you know the pictured boat's name?

Great picture.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

possibly used for simple tidal salvage work,wrecks,buoys etc.


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

The more I look at the bows of the vessel, the more puzzled I am. I have a feeling I am looking at a Dutch coaster.
There seems to be a "contraption" fitted to the bow (I am moving away from the Door theory), meant to facilitate the passage of "something" over the bow.
Like a wire? Something connected to North Sea Oil?
There were certainly a number of small landing craft inspired vessels years back, built if my memory serves, to service various Scottish islands. But they did not look like this.
I will have a look in old copies of Ships Montly!
Regards.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Could be this one >


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

i agree, although the "contraption" is not there.
At what date did the incident happen?
Why are there no anchors? and why do the hawse holes seem to have been filled in?


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## graymay (Aug 2, 2007)

The fishing boat is indeed the Enterprising, built originally as the Sunrise. My Granda is on the aft end with the bonnet. I first went to the seine net on her aged 8 with my Granda!


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## graymay (Aug 2, 2007)

cueball44 said:


> Could be this one >


Amazing photo, thanks a lot. Any history on the vessel?


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## TC2 (May 31, 2011)

cueball44 said:


> Could be this one >


This looks like Wells Harbour in Norfolk.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

TC2 said:


> This looks like Wells Harbour in Norfolk.


It is. 1987 after a storm put her on a car park.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Another image >


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## stehogg (Mar 14, 2016)

*Bit of detective work*

The truck crane in the picture owned by Sparrows est 1948, was the first 1000 ton capacity truck crane in the world.The former director of the company ,Frank Sumsion has written a book entitled Flying with Sparrows,could be there may be some useful info re your research in there.


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## RHP (Nov 1, 2007)

It doesn't answer what that contraption was on the bow - removed before she was washed ashore in the second picture.

It looks like a vertical (rather than curved) front face - could she have been used as a barge pusher (as opposed to a tug)?


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## David W (Apr 10, 2008)

The vessel is indeed the FUNCTION.
A number of Crescent ships were converted for Cable Laying at this time, mainly on contract to Balfour Kilpatrick Ltd, and were employed around the UK coast, but one of them, the LUMINENCE apparently went as far as Indonesia and New Zealand.

This information is from the excellent book "Crescent Shipping" by Ken Garrett.

Best Wishes 
Dave.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

RHP said:


> It doesn't answer what that contraption was on the bow - removed before she was washed ashore in the second picture.
> 
> It looks like a vertical (rather than curved) front face - could she have been used as a barge pusher (as opposed to a tug)?


There you go >


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## Julian Calvin (Feb 2, 2011)

Have followed this thread with fascination.
Great detective work. 
Well done guys.


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

cueball 44,
How do you do it ?
Regards


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

audierne said:


> cueball 44,
> How do you do it ?
> Regards


Well we do have a Gallery. I saw it was a Coaster so I placed the name in the search box under Coasters. Up it popped and I went from there. (Thumb)


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

If ever you wanted to demonstrate how good this site is on providing information about shipping and answering queries about such then this series of posts is it.

(Applause)


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## graymay (Aug 2, 2007)

BobClay said:


> If ever you wanted to demonstrate how good this site is on providing information about shipping and answering queries about such then this series of posts is it.
> 
> (Applause)


Unbelievable stuff, thank you so much.


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Roy Potter took the Luminence up to do cable laying a few times in the 70s.


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## Michael Taylor (Aug 31, 2008)

Does the vessel have a flat bow? Could this piece of equipment have somehow been attached as such? It looks to me like it is secured and that it could pass under or alongside the frd. light.


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## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

They had a normal bow and the cable chute was added before the project. Never heard anyone have a bad time up there in the summer.


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## andysk (Jun 16, 2005)

Fascinating thread, interesting illustrations, thanks chaps ....


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