L.E. Aisling, 30 years and counting.

[Goldie fish]

I notice P23 recently passed the 30 years commissioned milestone.
Ironically, it looks as if she'll be around for a while yet.

The Department of Defence invites tenders for sound insulation / noise abatement work on L.E. Aoife and L.E. Aisling, which are two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) in service with the Irish Navy.

The Irish Navy is based on Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour on the south coast of Ireland. It operates an eight ship flotilla to carry out its taskings, as assigned to it by the Government of Ireland

Basically the work involves reflooring most of the accomodation on both ships, to take 4 weeks, carried out during the winter refit.

[cha the tel]

There is a get together of the orginal crew this weekend.How time flies.

[Goldie fish]

She was the first Naval vessel I set foot on, back in 1982. Back then she had Boarding boats, Liberty boats and Oerlikons. The door into the bridge was timber, not steel.
There was a large queue of similarly minded kids waiting to play with the oerlikons. When that was done, we all rang the ships bell(until a wise PO decided to remove the clanger thingy.)
I still have a photo at home somewhere of a fresh faced me, standing behind the helm, EIYP behind me on the bulkhead(for years I wondered what it meant), with the well polished compass in front. No seats for helmsmen back then either. There was one seat on the bridge only. That was the Captains. Word is the OOW wasn't even allowed sit there.
The radar screens were the type that had a cone around the screen, or better yet, a curtain.
Must try and dig up a photo of her back then and post it, for comparison to how she looks today.

[hptmurphy]

Word is the OOW wasn't even allowed sit there

.


they did when the OC was in the bunk.

There was a large queue of similarly minded kids waiting to play with the oerlikons

Sounds like my gunnery course except we had the live ammo.

Fire my SG3 qualifiers on Aisling.. Bofors and Oerlikon.


Back then she had Boarding boats, Liberty boats .. would that boats of each type singular?

[damo de muff diver]

1 No Boarding Boat
1 No Liberty Launch
1 No Gemini
That how it were in 1982


Helmsman (person) shouldn`t sit down then they can`t see out the window to know where they are going..............

[mikeym]

Theres a reception to mark the 30 years is taking place in Galway tomorrow night (10/7/10) the minister of defence will be attending.

[golden rivet]

Theres a reception to mark the 30 years is taking place in Galway tomorrow night (10/7/10) the minister of defence will be attending.

were the invites sent out to the first crew....the minister was not one of them

[cha the tel]

1 No Boarding Boat
1 No Liberty Launch
1 No Gemini
That how it were in 1982


Helmsman (person) shouldn`t sit down then they can`t see out the window to know where they are going..............

Even standing Damo you couldn't see out

[hptmurphy]

Pictures of the First Crew on Face book....

[damo de muff diver]

Even standing Damo you couldn't see out

I had a milk crate to stand on.............they thought that it was important that I could see out & not crash into things........ they had seen me drive the gemini.......

[Goldie fish]

Current crew.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs133.snc4/36964_444503280943_221391530943_6504418_5642471_n.jpg

The minister is too tall.

[golden rivet]

sail before steam..are we losing some traditions where is the bosun.

[hptmurphy]

John McCormack, Standing behind female officer second from the left facing. Was a recruit with me..as was the Cox'n

[Sluggie]

John McCormack, Standing behind female officer second from the left facing. Was a recruit with me..as was the Cox'n

I think that GR's point was that the bosun should be seated instead of the Chief ERA. Keeping the monkeys in their place and all that.

[golden rivet]

I think that GR's point was that the bosun should be seated instead of the Chief ERA. Keeping the monkeys in their place and all that.

thats exactly what the point is .he is next senior man after the coxn as he is executive branch but i suppose like the way things are gone the old traditions are gone