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Le Aoife 30 years old!

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  • #16
    I wish I had kept the drawing of what the P30 class was proposed to look like.
    The P20 came in 3 versions.
    Deirdre was the prototype, that could only be improved on.
    Emer took on most of the changes that 5 years of experience with Deirdre had given.
    Aoife and Aisling are almost identical to each other(or were when they were built) being built side by side in Verolme. Both had the new Gravity davits, Both had antennae in the same places, their layouts below were similar.
    If they had got another 2,improved further on the P22, they may have developed the perfect OPV, and could have sold it on to the foreign navies now developing their own versions of what we have been using for 30 years.
    I think one of the RN Island class is now seen on "Whale Wars"....painted in "seductive black".

    But instead the price of 5 ships was thrown into the design and construction of one ship, which was ultimately too small to be what she was intended for, and without a similar sister ship, of no practical use. When Eithne was tied up, and the option of a helideck was required, we had no backup. Air India springs to mind.

    But Aoife has served us well, for what cost at the time about IR£5m. Equivalent to €19m today. There is a good chance too that the majority of her current crew (ofigi included) were not born when she was doing early patrols, sending her crews into open seas in a Gemini, or if they were lucky, a Liberty boat.
    When they stood watches they didn't have a seat, unless they were the Captain. Seamen were still men(more or less). They didn't have RTE Television, never mind Sky..

    I wonder what the next 30 years will bring?


    Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

    Comment


    • #17
      Originally posted by GoneToTheCanner View Post
      Hi GR,
      GJOON was a tough old boot of a Cessna 182 parachute aircraft, that was last polished the day it was built in 1961.It survived the tough world of parachute ops until a storm blew it over last year and broke it's back.So, 47 years old is bloody good for folded and riveted aluminium.
      REGARDS
      GttC
      a great age but hopefully none of the ships are allowed reach this as it would be lifejackets on in the bunk

      Comment


      • #18
        Originally posted by Marnealach View Post
        She made many re-supply trips to the Leb. but the occasion when they met the Pope was purely a Med.cruise visiting Lisbon, Civitavecci (Rome), Malta and Gibraltar. What was interesting about the Papal visit is that it was for 25 members of the Ships Company but the Capt. insisted on bringing all but 2 people,(Ship in a foreign port with no security or firefighting capability) the MEO an Englishman who wasnt that interested in meeting the head of the RC Church -he was OOD, DPO and D/ERA and there was an O/Mech who performed the duties of D/Mech and QM. All of this happened in 1980 when there was blind obedience to our superiors and all instructions were carried out to the letter of the law. I wonder would our new breed of liberated ships captains take such a risk.
        an excellent use of I AM IN COMMAND by eoin as he had a pair of liathroidi and no it would not happen now as a lot of the lads in command now were s/lt 8 years ago and have a different form of training eoin was trained by officers who some of them seen a lot of action during the war and they lived life on the edge with split second decision and had command and not dominated by a guy in an office... one senior officer was noted for using radio silence for a patrol

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        • #19
          Originally posted by golden rivet View Post
          an excellent use of I AM IN COMMAND by eoin as he had a pair of liathroidi and no it would not happen now as a lot of the lads in command now were s/lt 8 years ago and have a different form of training eoin was trained by officers who some of them seen a lot of action during the war and they lived life on the edge with split second decision and had command and not dominated by a guy in an office... one senior officer was noted for using radio silence for a patrol
          Iroically Eoin used the radio direction finder a lot to locate foreign trawlers with the help of the late great John (Von) Lucey who was his PO/Tel.

          Comment


          • #20
            eoin as he had a pair of liathroidi
            Of Brass......

            famous incident I was witness to... When the helo requested we identified our selves his reponse was to have the leading sig to use the aldis lamp to tell the helo pilot if he did not remove his machine he would be shot down.. the stand by man on the bridge was the ordered to uncover the port Rheinmettall... the nearest available ammo was five decks below.. but thehlo backed off.... we were tranisting of belfast lough the same night.

            yup Brass balls...

            Probably would have believed it had i not been on the bridge.
            Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post
              Of Brass......

              famous incident I was witness to... When the helo requested we identified our selves his reponse was to have the leading sig to use the aldis lamp to tell the helo pilot if he did not remove his machine he would be shot down.. the stand by man on the bridge was the ordered to uncover the port Rheinmettall... the nearest available ammo was five decks below.. but thehlo backed off.... we were tranisting of belfast lough the same night.

              yup Brass balls...

              Probably would have believed it had i not been on the bridge.
              Don't misinterpret madness & lack of cop on for brass balls. One would like to know what legal basis he had for instructing a UK helo in UK waters to move away, when international maritime law is on the side of the sovereign nation? Pure unadulterated madness and could very easily have caused an international incident far past the realms of his insignificance. This incident highlights the lack of awareness this individual had of the diplomatic consequences actions of a state ship can have. Period.

              Comment


              • #22
                any way we should all turn up for the party and have a chat.. even wrinkles might arrive

                Comment


                • #23
                  Originally posted by Dogwatch View Post
                  Don't misinterpret madness & lack of cop on for brass balls. One would like to know what legal basis he had for instructing a UK helo in UK waters to move away, when international maritime law is on the side of the sovereign nation? Pure unadulterated madness and could very easily have caused an international incident far past the realms of his insignificance. This incident highlights the lack of awareness this individual had of the diplomatic consequences actions of a state ship can have. Period.
                  The waters around Northern Ireland are the subject of dispute since the Government of Ireland Act of 1920 , it,s all very long and complicated so look it up on Wikipidia . I do remember on one ocasion on Emer we where chalenged by a Royal Navy vessel off the Northern Ireland coast and our skipper's reply was something like , Who the hell are you to chalenge me ,
                  Don't spit in my Bouillabaisse .

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Aoife 30 years old

                    Here's Aoife still breaking the North Atlantic with the best of 'em. I got extremely wet taking the pic, but well worth it.

                    Last edited by armedboarder; 15 November 2009, 20:12.
                    As always, too many christians and never enough lions.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by Dogwatch View Post
                      Don't misinterpret madness & lack of cop on for brass balls. One would like to know what legal basis he had for instructing a UK helo in UK waters to move away, when international maritime law is on the side of the sovereign nation? Pure unadulterated madness and could very easily have caused an international incident far past the realms of his insignificance. This incident highlights the lack of awareness this individual had of the diplomatic consequences actions of a state ship can have. Period.
                      He was most certainly considered the best Ships Captain of his crop of Lt. Cdrs at that time.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Funny thing the was not anti British and was most courteous to Royal Naval Vessels in accordance with portocols and would often engage either through VHF , Aldis or Flags with RN ships is passing through Irish or international waters,

                        But the helicopter incident was not alone as on tuesday 26th jan 1988 we were investigated by a nimrod at night searchin the Donegal area and again his reply was to tell him to **** of his words using plain VHF channel 16.. have it recorded in my diary from the time,

                        I also have the other incident rcorded in a diary... they did happen and i was there

                        The man was not fit to command as a point was once passed by a retired officer that he 'hadn't the brains of a Leading Seaman in the SM.'.not my words but in some circles he was held in contempt.

                        He was aloof and arrogant, and a shamless drunk ashore , who constantly squabbled and fought with his executive officers and treated some of his junior oficers like dirt and they had very little repect for him

                        He was very indiscreet in some of the comments he passed in relation to both senior and junior officers in the pressence of ratings on the bridge.

                        Just observations of a very young AB at the time but with the benefit of hindsight and several years of supervisory management behind me this man was very poor leader of men , not at all inspiritation, selffish and career orientated although his career did evaporate very quickly after Eithne.


                        As a LtCdr Capt of a PV he may have been a good OC, as OC L.E. Eithne for my time there he was in the least dangerous with a very cavalier attitude in how he saw his role in the service,,it was his ship and he would do with it as he pleased., which was not good for morale aboard at all ranks level.

                        Probably a product of the times with some of the antics he performed been seen as pure bravado and showing the finger to authourity which is acceptable on jest on matters which are buried in beaurocracy but there is a time and a-place for everything.

                        Bad and all as he was he still had some traits that would endear you to him, he gone now so it doesn't matter, he had his moments of brilliance, but all in all he was master of his own downfall.


                        Last time I saw him was a few years ago at a funeral, he was no longer the 'warlord' as we had often described him, juts an old man with a long coat and flat cap standing in the rain in the cemetary in Cobh with all the pomp and cermony of an officers funeral going on... and all those carrying out the duties totally oblivious to him, most below certain age would never even have known him

                        The next time he will recieve any recognition by that service will be on the day he is lowered into the ground,,,some will say good things about him some will say bad but some will say nothing at all and not even turn up at the funeral....I'm afraid I will be one of those.
                        Last edited by hptmurphy; 17 November 2009, 14:51.
                        Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          You know what, Murph? I can think of a former Air Corps pilot and a former EI pilot who were exactly like him to a T.They treated everyone around them with varying degrees of contempt and only acknowledged a very scant few as their equals and regarded every word out of their own mouths as precious diamonds. They must have been blighted as human beings from an early age. **** 'em. The Service is better off without people like him and to your credit, you rose above them.
                          regards
                          GttC

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Sadly, I have to agree with you Murph, the carry on was appalling. I won't comment further on this man.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post
                              Funny thing the was not anti British and was most courteous to Royal Naval Vessels in accordance with portocols and would often engage either through VHF , Aldis or Flags with RN ships is passing through Irish or international waters,

                              But the helicopter incident was not alone as on tuesday 26th jan 1988 we were investigated by a nimrod at night searchin the Donegal area and again his reply was to tell him to **** of his words using plain VHF channel 16.. have it recorded in my diary from the time,

                              I also have the other incident rcorded in a diary... they did happen and i was there

                              The man was not fit to command as a point was once passed by a retired officer that he 'hadn't the brains of a Leading Seaman in the SM.'.not my words but in some circles he was held in contempt.

                              He was aloof and arrogant, and a shamless drunk ashore , who constantly squabbled and fought with his executive officers and treated some of his junior oficers like dirt and they had very little repect for him

                              He was very indiscreet in some of the comments he passed in relation to both senior and junior officers in the pressence of ratings on the bridge.

                              Just observations of a very young AB at the time but with the benefit of hindsight and several years of supervisory management behind me this man was very poor leader of men , not at all inspiritation, selffish and career orientated although his career did evaporate very quickly after Eithne.


                              As a LtCdr Capt of a PV he may have been a good OC, as OC L.E. Eithne for my time there he was in the least dangerous with a very cavalier attitude in how he saw his role in the service,,it was his ship and he would do with it as he pleased., which was not good for morale aboard at all ranks level.

                              Probably a product of the times with some of the antics he performed been seen as pure bravado and showing the finger to authourity which is acceptable on jest on matters which are buried in beaurocracy but there is a time and a-place for everything.

                              Bad and all as he was he still had some traits that would endear you to him, he gone now so it doesn't matter, he had his moments of brilliance, but all in all he was master of his own downfall.


                              Last time I saw him was a few years ago at a funeral, he was no longer the 'warlord' as we had often described him, juts an old man with a long coat and flat cap standing in the rain in the cemetary in Cobh with all the pomp and cermony of an officers funeral going on... and all those carrying out the duties totally oblivious to him, most below certain age would never even have known him

                              The next time he will recieve any recognition by that service will be on the day he is lowered into the ground,,,some will say good things about him some will say bad but some will say nothing at all and not even turn up at the funeral....I'm afraid I will be one of those.
                              I am not on here as a cheerleader for Eoin. I am probably a bit older than most people on this site and as such would know him a bit longer, my first encounter with him was when he was a junior officer and would have sailed on numerous ships with him and as I said he was quite good. He was very good until he completed the C+S course and realised he could go far( He was 2nd in a class of 4) in the era of promotion on seniority. Most people posting here probably remember him on P31 where he was off the wall which I feel was not a true reflection of the man. The time when representation was introduced was not a glorious time for him either, although he could have gone either way with it , unfortunately his strings were being pulled by his immediate superior at the time and he opted to be its biggest critic and made life difficult for both PDFORRA and RACO, I remember FOCNS telling them both to ease up on the elected representatives as they were now covered by legislation and we would all have to live with it.I am sure we can have a debate about his merits or demerits but I do feel the earlier part of his career was good unfortunately he will only be remembered for the latter part. We are all brilliant in hindsight and can any of us say that we behaved exemplary in all our dealings with people, I know I for one would do some things differently.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post

                                But the helicopter incident was not alone as on tuesday 26th jan 1988 we were investigated by a nimrod at night searchin the Donegal area and again his reply was to tell him to **** of his words using plain VHF channel 16.. have it recorded in my diary from the time,

                                I also have the other incident rcorded in a diary... they did happen and i was there
                                Remember the night of the nimrod , was Leading Hand of the Watch & was on lookout when it came down & buzzed us.

                                We were sneaking up on trawlers with all our lights out.
                                They came down & put a search light on us & then all hell broke loose.
                                What do you mean abandon ship
                                Are they taking requests?

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