HMS Foudroyant - Pompey Dockyard

I like to think I saw her in 1960s when I went to a Navy day with my dad, I have a sailing "guide book" to the Solent which has some wonderful illustrations including a line drawing of her. Some years ago I wondered what had happened to her and found the story in Wikipedia, I feel i should make the effort to see her in her new home.
 
Ah HMS Torquay! For me it was hammocks in the Baltic. Wonderful times.

I also remember Foudroyant in the 1960's in Portsmouth Harbour. It gave the harbour some character.


Mudisox said:
I can remember having to sleep in a hammock for the trip across the pond in HMS TORQUAY, part of the DT squadron, surely I am not that old.
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I remember TS Foudroyant in the mid to late 70s'. If I recall correctly it catered for 8-14 year olds. I spent 5 nights on board. It closely resembled a naval / sea training vessel which was permanently moored, staff wore naval uniforms but we just wore our civvies. I also remember the 'bunkspace' deck was indeed canvas hammocks that were stored in the metal storage bin adjacent to one of the bulkheads. Correctly so, you tied them up in a tube fashion which contained your sleeping bag. The beams had largs hooks with numbers that corresponded to the printed number of your hammock.

When I was there, there was a floating pontoon off the forward quarter which Wayfarer dinghies were stored on. A motor launch transported you up and back and the Wayfarers were launched and recovered from the platform.

There was also a motor launch that took us across to Cowes and back for a few hours. It was a good holiday from what I can remember.
 
I remember going to a young conservatives disco
on board in about 1975!
Tricky getting about in platform boots and flares but we managed!
Nice to have a fag and then stub it out on deck!
And I seem to remember getting off with a girl
but that may be wishfull thinking as unlike former TV stars
it was bloody difficult in Pompey in those days!
 
She was certainly there in the sixties and seventies. As sea scouts we used to occasionally stop of for a cuppa and she was the starting line and committee boat for Portsmouth sailing clubs frostbite series.

In about 1971 or 1972 I had a summer job as the 'boy' on Harry Butchers boats, doing the commentary for trips 'Round Portsmouth Harbour to see all the ships.....'

'And coming up on your right, ladies and gentlemen, you see the training ship Foudroyant, formally the Trincomalee, which is the oldest wooden ship afloat in the world today.....'
 
prv said:
So for those of us who weren't born when that photo was taken, what was Foudroyant and what was her purpose in life? Sea Cadets or similar?

Pete
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Originally an 80 (not 74), sometime flagship of Nelson. Purpose: giving the Frenchies a hard time.
 
Well I certainly remember Foudroyant, always thought she was used by the Sea Cadets; there was also for a time the old HMS Mercury training / accomodation hulk which had come around from the Hamble, now restored and looking rather better at Chatham.
 
Didn't the original ship (the 80-gunner) break her back whilst under tow in the 1950s? Sorry, belay that, I'm thinking of HMS Nile (a 92).
 
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emsworthy said:
The year would have been around 1975/76.

Does anyone else remember her being there? I have never found another soul who recalls her being there or had a similar school trip, but unless it is a flash-back to a previous life I'm pretty certain I didn't imagine it! :confused:
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She was there when I joined the Royal Navy in 1957
 
You are not dreaming - I too was on a school trip to Foudroyant and remember the daily ritual of hammock hanging and packing up. I also remember having to clean the heads/deck/other areas before breakfast which was quite a shock for an eight year old!

We also had a fire alarm test one evening - once we were all tucked up asleep - in those pre-health & safety days everyone was roused and then it was over the side down scrambling nets into the small boats whereupon we had to row away from the ship.

I keep meaning to try and fit in a trip to see her in Hartlepool to see what memories she rekindles...
 
It was a given to Hartlepool to fill the gap that HMS Warrior caused......Warrior became a tourist attraction while being restored.
 
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I too had a school trip to HMS Foudroyant and remember the daily rituals of putting up and taking down hammocks, as well as having to clean the heads/deck/other areas before breakfast which was quite a shock for an eight year old.

In addition I remember the fire practice in which we were woken at night and then had to climb over the side of the ship down scrambling nets into small boats and then row away from the ship – all in pre-health and safety days of course…
 
I remember the Foudroyant very well.
We had a mooring at Portchester Sailing Club throughout the 70s, so every trip up and down the harbour we would pass her.
I can just remember going aboard her sometime during the early part of that decade, when my sister did a course on her.

I was sad to see her go, when she left for Hartlepool, as she was part of the 'furniture' in Portsmouth Harbour, though at the same time I was pleased she was going to be restored.

I must make a trip up there sometime, to renew my acquaintance with the old girl!

Doug
 
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