Sunday, 29 October 2017

Feature boat....PS Cariff Queen

Edmund Faulkes's model of PS Cardiff Queen.

A regular visitor to the pond.

Launched on February 25th, 1947 by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering at Govan, Glasgow
Engines : Triple expansion three crank diagonal, 25.5, 39 and 61 in x 60 in
Dimensions : 240 ft x 30.1 ft
765 Gross Registered Tonnes

Fitted with a double-ended oil-fired Scotch boiler requiring two funnels
Placed on the Cardiff - Ilfracombe excursion until sent to Swansea for the 1950 season
Spent the 1952 and 1953 seasons on the South Coast of England
Back at Swansea between 1954 and 1958
From 1959 until 1961 she was the fleet's main cruise vessel as Bristol Queen was laid up
From 1961 until the end of 1965 Cardiff Queen mainly covered the Cardiff -Weston ferry as Bristol Queen undertook the cruise role
In 1966, Cardiff Queen had a much shorter season, mainly stationed at Swansea
Laid up at Cardiff after the trip to Lundy on September 21st 1966 and moved to Barry in June 1967
Real hope existed that she might be bought for further use on the Firth of Forth
Sold for planned use as a Night Club on the Usk at Newport arriving at the unsuitable tidal berth on February 29th, 1968
Quickly moved to Newport Docks after re floating
Left her berth at Newport Dock on April 9th 1968 for the short trip to a tidal berth on the Usk at Cashmore's scrap yard.

A fantastic film taken from the PS Cardiff Queen.

Film of the model on the pond

Boats on the pond

All the boats sailed are radio controlled, some are scratch built and some are made from kits. It is ever increasingly popular to buy ready to run boats that require no building skills, just switch on and go out of the box.

Here are some of the boats that can be seen on the pond.

HMS Dragon, visit the real thing here https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/our-organisation/the-fighting-arms/surface-fleet/destroyers/hms-dragon

Shetland Trader

https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/SHIPS/British-Coastal-and-Short-Sea/HAY/

Dave’s shipshape hobby is perfect for landlubbers

Visit the Dundee Courier feature to learn more about this boat and one of our committee members.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/523181/daves-shipshape-hobby-perfect-landlubbers/

A steam fishing boat,video below.

Grace is a 6 Metre yacht built in the 1930's see her blog here http://pondyacht.blogspot.co.uk/

The paddle tug Grinder, video in action below.

Grinder on the pond.

Kathleen, based on the tall ship Kathleen and May, visit her blog here http://kathleenandmay.co.uk/

MV Gullfoss was a ferry operating between Iceland, Denmark, and Scotland from 1950 to 1972.

MV Gullfoss

A new dock.

The club members have been busy building a new dock. A dock just makes things more interesting and is a popular addition on the pond attracting young and old to take a look.

The New Dock.