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HMNZS TAUPO P3570
The RNZN in the early 1970s sought a replacement patrol craft for the slow and inadequate SDMLs which were of the Second World War era. These craft would be used for fisheries patrols and surveillance of territorial waters which in 1975 was a 12-mile [19km] zone. They were not designed for patrolling the 200 mile [322km] EEZ that was declared from 1 October 1977. This was left to the RNZAF Orion and RNZN frigates. It was originally intended to order six vessels from Brooke Marine at Lowestoft in Britain but the order was reduced to four. Names were transferred over from four of the Loch-class frigates which had served with the RNZN in the 1950s & 1960s. The names chosen were Hawea, Pukaki, Rotoiti and Taupo. Taupo was laid down on 25 July 1974 and completed by Novem...
CONTAINERS LOST
New details have emerged about the loss of containers overboard from the ONE Apus earlier this week that suggest it could be the largest single container loss since the sinking of the MOL Comfort in 2013. ONE released a situation report that notified that 1,900 boxes or more could have been lost on Monday night when the vessel hit heavy weather in the Pacific. “The vessel was on passage from Yantian to Long Beach, approximately 1600NM North West of Hawaii, when it encountered a violent storm cell producing gale force winds and large swells which caused the ONE Apus to roll heavily resulting in the dislodging of the lost containers. ONE Apus a 14,000 teu vessel has abandoned its original destination and is now proceeding in a westerly direction towards Japan with plans to seek a suitable po...
USS BONHOMME RICHARD TO BE SCRAPPED
The U.S. Navy has decided to scrap the fire-ravaged amphib USS Bonhomme Richard, weighing the extent of the damage and cost of repairs against the practical alternative of building a new ship. The Bonhomme Richard, sustained a fire in a lower hold on July 12 as she sat at a pier in San Diego. Winds off the bay and the location of the fire near ventilation shafts promoted the spread of the blaze, and despite a valiant five-day firefighting effort involving hundreds of sailors, the fire burned all the way up through the top of the superstructure. About sixty percent of the vessel’s interior compartments were damaged, in addition to her newly-upgraded flight deck. The Navy determined that the estimated cost of repair to bring Bonhomme Richard, back to fighting form was in the range of $...
HMNZS TE KAHA DUE HOME FOR XMAS
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN)’s frigate HMNZS Te Kaha is under-going sea trials in Canada following a mid-life upgrade. It is the first of two Anzac-class frigates set to receive the Frigate Systems Upgrade (FSU) at Seaspan shipyards with Lockheed Martin Canada acting as prime contractor. The Frigate Systems Upgrade (FSU) project is upgrading the frigates’ surveillance, combat and self-defence capabilities to match current and future threats and address obsolescence of some current systems. This will deliver a new combat management system, new radars, electronic detection and other above water sensors, the self-defence missile system, decoys against missiles and torpedoes, and an upgrade to the hull-mounted sonar. Te Kaha is due to berth in Auckland on Sunday, 20 December 20, at ...
MEMORIAL SERVICE – 79TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SINKING OF HMS NEPTUNE
NOTE! NEW TIME 1030, Sunday 20 December 2020 St Christopher’s Chapel, Devonport Naval Base. Rig: 1BW (negative swords) On 19 December 1941, HMS NEPTUNE sunk after hitting a mine off the coast of Tripoli in the Mediterranean. All but one of the 764 personnel aboard lost their lives. Amongst the crew were 150 New Zealanders, many of whom were reservists. This event represents the largest loss of New Zealand life at sea and forms a significant event in the history of our Navy and especially of our Naval Reserve. Ship’s Company are invited to attend the service which will be led by Padre Michael Berry. Please note the new time for this service due to the homecoming of HMNZS TE KAHA, due alongside at 1000 on this day. As there is likely to be a number of people on base at this time,...
Navy vessel popular attraction
Eastland Port had a new star attraction on Saturday, with HMNZS Manawanui open to the public. The Royal New Zealand Navy vessel was on her first visit to her home port of Gisborne, where a ceremonial ‘charter parade’ on Friday celebrated the connection. The ship provides the ability for diving and hydrographic specialists to embark and conduct specialised operations such as surveying of lakes, coastlines and harbours, underwater explosive disposal, mine counter measures and underwater search and salvage. Read more from the Gisborne Herald here
U.S. Navy Accelerates Uptake of 3-D Printing for Spare Parts
The U.S. Navy and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) are exploring additive manufacturing (AM) technologies to design, print, approve, and install critical or obsolete parts – establishing a process and exercising component development on vessels even after undocking. To jumpstart this effort, a NAVSEA team led by Engineering Duty Officers Lieutenant Commander David P. Johnsen and Lieutenant Commander Jake Lunday reached out to workers and Sailors across the globe and developed the Navy Additive Manufacturing Part Identification Exercise (NAMPIE) to identify what parts could be printed and installed shipboard or for use by waterfront workers. Efforts reached San Diego Naval Base in Ca.; Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center Norfolk, VA; Naval Station Rota in Spain; and Naval Station May...
Navy Won’t Repair Fire-Damaged Warship, Saying It Would Cost Billions
A U.S. Navy warship that was engulfed by a fire in July while docked in San Diego will be decommissioned instead of rebuilt, the Pentagon said Monday, deciding to forgo a repair project that could have surpassed $3 billion. The ship, the U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard, will be dismantled and some of its spare parts will be used in other naval vessels, officials said. Read more from the New York Times here
EX HMNZS KUPARU – HAULOUT
Scott Perry, owner of Kuparu, has been putting in the ‘hard yards’ doing much needed restoration work on Kuparu. She is currently hauled out at Marsden Cove, Whangarei, Scott found some worm in the keel which had to be attended to and this has extended the time on the hard. She is due to go back in the water next week. The good news is that her hull will be black, the way most of us remember MLs. If you get a chance, Scott would appreciate a hand. It is a big job for one man on his own. If you are in the area give him a call – 027 278 2542.