Seaplane Tender (ST) - 206

Seaplane Tender (ST) 206 is one of the very successful 200 class built by The British Power Boat Co. at Hythe. The prototype of this class, ST 200, was evaluated by Aircraftman T.E. Shaw, also known as the famous Lawrence of Arabia. The 200 class seaplane tenders were twin engined, hard-chined, vee-bottomed boats which were designed to combine safety at sea in any flying weather with immediate speed in an emergency and economy of maintenance.

The 17 frames and the skins of the hull structure were of African Mahogany throughout, whereas the stem, hog-keel, chine and gunwale, with all plank-battens and stringers were of Columbia Pine. The rubbers on the gunwales and chines were of Canadian Rock Elm. Most of the internal woodwork was of a very light and strong white African timber, which was soft to work but without much holding property for small or fine-cut screws. The cabin roof was planked fore aft; - later units the roof was of three-ply, covered externally with doped fabric.

The transom was a three-piece plate of 1 and 1/8" Mahogany lap-jointed and ribboned, with internal stiffening. The bottom planking was double diagonal, the inner skin being 5/16" and the outer 7/16", with fabric inter-lining doped by a boiled oil varnish mixture. The skins were screwed to the frames and stringers by brass screws and copper nail clenched plank to plank between the frames. The sides were single 5/8" planking, screwed to the battens or stringers. The hull was divided into four compartments; - the fore compartment to the end of the wheelhouse, the cabin compartment, the engine cockpit compartment and the transom compartment.

The early craft of the 200 series were powered by twin Power Meadows petrol engines, which were produced for the British Power Boat Company by the Meadows Company of Wolverhampton. Each had a rating of 100hp and through Meadows gearboxes directly drove the 14" manganese bronze propellers. Maximum speed was about 29 knots which could be maintained for ½ an hour. Otherwise the maximum cruising speed was 24 knots and with the 65 gallons of fuel carried, gave an endurance of 140 miles. Later units of the 200 series seaplane tenders (craft numbered 292-303 and 323-324) were powered by twin Perkins S6M diesel engines. Several of the type, like ST 206, were subsequently converted to Firefloats.

ST 206 was ordered in May 1931 under contract 104561/31 and was taken on charge into RAF service in March 1932. She was then despatched to Catfoss where she saw service through to 1942. On the 10th March that year she was at 85MU, Bridlington, listed for conversion to a Firefloat, which was completed and the RAF changed her designation to FT1. On completion she was returned to Catfoss and thereafter to Castle Archdale, Northern Ireland, where she was used by RAF Coastal Command. FT (ex-ST 206) was further moved not far to Lough Erne in support of the Flying Boat base there on the 16th July 1942.

Her service career then got a little confused, as at first she was listed as being transferred to 62MU Dumbarton on the 1st August 1944, but this was cancelled on the 14th of the same month. In the meantime she was allocated to 26EU at Freetown, West Africa on the 8th August 1944, and again to 24EU at Durban in South Africa on the 14th August. All her "overseas allocations" were cancelled on the 20th October 1944 as Firefloat FT1 ended up being allocated to 213MU at Dumbarton in November 1944 where she was received in May 1945, and where she was maintained for Coastal Command on establishment from the 11th May 1945. FT1 (ex-ST 206) was earmarked for disposal through the Admiralty on the 26th September 1946 and left Dumbarton in November the same year.

Her history and whereabouts from 1946 through to 1990 are not known, however she was located in Gweek, Cornwall that year in a seriously dilapidated and almost unrecognisable state due to a series of modifications, which were part complete and out of keeping with the original design. At that time the paint was removed from her bows revealing her original RAF markings. ST 206 was subsequently acquired by Phil Clabburn who completely rebuilt her, restoring the craft to her original Seaplane Tender condition. She was re-launched at Hythe on the 17th July 1993.