Laudable Nutters

There was one in Shetland in the 70's used by a construction company during the building of pipeline landfalls and Sullom Voe terminal. It was always accompanied by a tug.
 
Bobc said:
Nope. They came back by sea at 4kts all the way. They came into the club when they arrived (starving and desperate for a beer).
Click to expand...

I had no idea they were actually sea worthy. I assumed they were mainly about crossing rivers or perhaps doing the last 400m into a beach.

I'm staggered it could survive lengthy exposure to salt water, too. I'd have imagined bearings getting wrecked, inlets clogged etc.

Hasn't been particularly calm recently, either. What was the weather when it crossed, I'm guessing not a flat clam?
 
Mark-1 said:
I had no idea they were actually sea worthy.
Click to expand...
Well, for a given definition of seaworthy...

I doubt she'd warrant more than a D classification - "The boats have been built to comfortably handle Beaufort Force 4 winds, and waves of up to and including 0.3 metres", though in 1944, the waves were a lot bigger than that, and I don't recall stories of them being overwhelmed.

IIRC, overnight, there wasn't much wind, but it would have been F3-4 when they started.
 
On reflection there is (was?) that one at St Vaast in regular salt water use so they can clearly handle the salt. And wasn't there one on the Thames?

I guess they were insanely over-engineered for what (I thought) their purpose was.
 
Stemar said:
Well, for a given definition of seaworthy...

I doubt she'd warrant more than a D classification - "The boats have been built to comfortably handle Beaufort Force 4 winds, and waves of up to and including 0.3 metres", though in 1944, the waves were a lot bigger than that, and I don't recall stories of them being overwhelmed.

IIRC, overnight, there wasn't much wind, but it would have been F3-4 when they started.
Click to expand...

They were not involved in the 'invasion' waves being logistic support, but were invaluable in that role. I think there were none on the beaches until D+1 or so.
 
Mark-1 said:
On reflection there is (was?) that one at St Vaast in regular salt water use so they can clearly handle the salt. And wasn't there one on the Thames?

I guess they were insanely over-engineered for what (I thought) their purpose was.
Click to expand...

They operated in the sea for many years (into this millennium) at ATTURM Instow.

 
" I had no idea they were actually sea worthy. "

Somewhere amongst the dust and cobwebs, I have a book with stories of people who made Atlantic crossings in unusual craft. A DUKW is one of the craft featured. A few additions for fuel storage etc obviously, but the same basic craft as in Stemar's photo.
 
The original DUKW's, or sea going trucks, were designed by three yachtsmen; Palmer Cosslett Putman, Dennis Puleston and Rod Stephens. That's Rod Stephens from the yacht designers Sparkman & Stephens. All civilians they had an uphill battle to get the craft accepted by the US military.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top