Quote:
Originally Posted by erimus
Maybe a charter?...It is modelled on a former US Tug apparently....
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Certainly is, there has been for sometime Yacht Owners who prefer the more rugged built vessels usually converted Tugs or Offshore Vessels with an accommodation module on the Aft Deck, all come under the title of 'Expedition Yachts'.
A number of Tugs in the style of 'Able One' became available when the U.S. Army cancelled a modification programme at their Hythe facility and indeed one of these vessels arrived at Hartlepool as Bob indicated, she had no Prop or Tailshaft and her Stern Tube was blanked off, not sure how much she was stripped out down below.
There was speculation then in regards to the owner and Stephenson was mentioned, I was a regular visitor to the Marina helping a friend get his vessel ready for sailing to the South of France, in all the times I was there nobody seemed to be aboard the former American Tug.
She then turned up at Whitby at the Parkol facility for fitting out and it would appear that 'Able One' is a copy? of this Tug.
Why build a copy when there were original American Tugs available with history and hardly any use as they were held in Reserve with occasional rotation in the American pre positioned Stores Fleet.
As far as I am aware the original American Tug is still at Whitby alongside Parkol.