NAVY HARBOUR LAUNCHES

16/9/2013

Photographed in the Albert Dock in Liverpool on a warm and sunny
4 September 2013 Snowbird (ex HLD 6807 ex D25) is a wooden hulled ex Royal Navy Harbour Launch once used to ferry officers and crew around the Navy dockyards. Originally this particular vessel was based in Portsmouth.

HLD denotes Harbour Launch Diesel and the numbering scheme 6807 indicates that she was the seventh launch ordered in 1968.

Quite a number of this type of vessel were built and constructed to a design originating in the 1890's, apart from small profile changes and the introduction of diesel engines instead of steam the design remained largey unchanged. Most were built close to their intended homeport as the Admiralty sent out the plans to the RN naval bases who had them built locally.

They were operated by the Port Auxiliary Service which in 1976 was merged with the RMAS.

Starting from the closest to the camera can be seen the steel-hulled New Zealand or Kiwi class launch named Indefatigable which is now I believe used as a training ship, this type were used as crew boats in the 1982 Falklands Conflict.

Next in line is Rainbird (ex HLD 6507, ex D23) a Harbour Launch built in 1965 by Groves and Gutteridge at Cowes.

Furthest from the camera is Stormbird (ex H.L.D. 6512, ex D12) which was built in 1965 by the Dorset Yacht Co, Poole.

Stern view of three of the vessels photographed above.

18 Comments

roo mitchell

15/5/2015 12:54:33 pm

INDEFATIGABLE is ex RMAS 7021 which was based at ROSYTH

Gary burrow

4/10/2015 09:37:19 pm

Hiya! I am a bit of a spotter once buying a pinnace 6424 D17 laying in Maldon Essex I have been slowly getting her back to being a very usable vessel & never spotted one picture of my girlie yet it always draws much attention to herself maybe it's the colour scheme. Cheers gary!

james coleborn

27/3/2016 08:21:47 pm

Loved the pic of HLD6807. As an apprentice in Portsmouth Dockyard in the 1960's these craft provided a ferry service to all the navy establishments around Portsmouth Harbour. In nice weather, to be sent to Gosport on some errand, was a joy and being pond life (as apprentices were) I'd always make sure that I went the long way round.

As a boy, living in Malta in the late 1950's, one of these boats, with a polished brass "blunderbus" funnel, was for the use of the CinC. Complete with snow white decks, white linen seat covers and intricate rope fenders it was a sight to behold.

John wardale

16/2/2017 08:59:56 pm

Harbour launch 6424 D17 was Portsmouth based till she was sold out of service in the 1990's built by Curtis and pape.in 1964

Richard

16/4/2017 05:10:13 pm

I owned 6425 for about 10 years also out of Curtis and Pape. I tried to get the build plans but new owners of C and P had got rid of old documents. I bought her out of Scotland and kept her berthed in the centre of Norwich attracting much attention.

Brett

19/6/2017 12:16:20 am

hi John.
do you know the history of most of theses HLD boats ? or where i can search the history of one

Berend Abendanon

3/3/2017 01:15:32 pm

I own harbour launch HLD 6425 also built by Curtis and Pape and now moored outside my home 'Cockatrice" near Reedham ferry ,Norfolk. come and visit-I'll take you for a trip up or down river

Richard

16/4/2017 05:12:12 pm

Pls let me have your contact number I used to own 6425. I kept her in Norwich.

Berend Abendanon

16/4/2017 05:56:31 pm

Hi Richard I bought HLD 6425 from you about 20 years ago. Vessel
still going strong contact me on 07946345964

Devonport David

26/7/2017 10:16:31 am

I spent 8 months in Navy Point, Port Stanley as a boat stoker on a Kiwi. There were 3, used for a regular harbour ferry service. Kiwi 1 was my boat which had been used as a range guard boat and had an oil fired range, pipe cots and a head with rudimentary shower in the fwd cabin. Bullet proof boats, operated in all conditions and all sorts of tasking, I particularly remember towing an admiralty mooring bouy to the outer harbour in foul weather. Lively sea, the bouy rolled down breakers a couple of times onto the transom, all in all a wild day. Dinner on the Andalusia Star on completion was well received.

Andy Campfield

18/7/2018 05:00:56 pm

I was the last skipper of HLD 6512 working in Devonport dockyard carrying Naval passengers and light towering commitments as well as running ropes for Warships breathing. Great little harbour workboats driven by faithfully Voaden engined.

David Griffiths link

20/12/2019 11:56:55 am

Here in Portsmouth, at the Naval Base Property Trust, we have HL(D0 49. Her build number was 56140, having been built by Messrs. Jones Slipway in Buckie, in 1956.

We have pictures of other HL(D)'s apparently carrying their build numbers, rather than the HL(D) xx number. Does anyone have a complete or even partial list of the operational numbers and build numbers, and futhermore any information on which numbers specific boats carried when in service in the dockyards?

Alan Birch

17/10/2020 03:01:09 pm

As a 16 year old trainee rigger in Portsmouth dockyard in the mid 60's, I had the good fortune to work/study in all three rigging houses.
Made arrester wires for the carriers in number one rigging house. A summer spent on re placing the rigging and creosoting same on HMS Victory mizzen mast for number 2 rigging house. And best of all.
Number 3 rigging house. Sailings, arrivals and movements from the dockside or on a couple of occasions from on a bloody great tanker
with not enough crew to man the berthing wires and ropes. Going up
the rope ladder from pilot boat to the tanker deck with a bloody great aircraft carrier heaving line over my shoulder and crapping bricks. But loved the little D boats. It was great sitting in the back of them. I have
wondered for years what happened to them, and have searched the
Internet a number of times. So glad some are still used and loved. Enjoyed reading all these comments.
Long my they be enjoyed.

Brett

21/10/2020 08:58:55 pm

Hi Alan
There are still a few around that came from Portsmouth dockyard there still going strong but need a lot of time and work to keep them going now .I am restoring and living on one from portsmouth ,would you remember it by its name or hull number ?

Kevin link

7/12/2020 12:34:44 am

Thanks for the post

John wardale

29/12/2020 10:54:37 am

I remember the guy who came to Portsmouth to collect D25 seem to remember he lost the prop 1/2 way across the harbour, D23 was sold about the similar time. I spotted D21 a few years back at Aigues Morte on the camargue. I have a few shots of these great little boats in service with the RMAS

Iain MacQuarrie

2/8/2022 04:10:38 pm

Good afternoon , Read with interest the comments regarding the Navy Harbour Launches (HLD). I am particularly interested in the Chew Magna which was used during the salvage operation of HMS WARSPITE at Penzance She was sold in 1955 as the work came to an end. Does anyone know what happened to her? Thanks Iain.

David Shaw Cracknell

24/11/2022 08:36:17 pm

Hi I drove one at Portland about 1983/4, called kiwi, ferrying FOST staff around.....anyone know what happened to it?

NAVY HARBOUR LAUNCHES

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