back to Sea Transportation

Length 72', beam 15' 10", draft 4' 3", displacement 54 tons.

Speed: 12 knots knots from two 150 HP Gardner straight-8 diesel engines, each of 24 liters displacement. Range 2000 miles at 10 knots.

Armament: A 3 pdr. gun is fitted on the foredeck, a 20mm Oerlikon gun aft, and a pair of Lewis guns are fitted on pedestals on the deckhouse. During World War 2, eight depth charges and an ASDIC set will also be fitted.

Crew: 2 officers, 2 petty officers, 8 ratings.

Two propellors and two rudders give this boat a small turning radius. The hull is of mahogany, sheathed in copper; the wheelhouse (behind the bridge) is fitted with bullet-proof steel plates. The main fuel tanks contain 1250 gallons of diesel; an auxiliary tank contains another 300 gallons. For ocean crossings, the vessel carries two tabernacle masts (normally struck down on deck). The foremast carried a standing lug and jib, and the mizzen a standing lug; a large square sail is provided for running before the wind. A dinghy is carried on deck.

"On the high seas, motor launches are small in relation to the sea they encounter; they are also light and have little grip on the water. In consequence they are thrown about and knocked over by the sea in a manner not experienced by larger ships nor even by the relatively small but heavy and deep draught vessels such as trawlers."