RV Platessa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The Admiralty
- Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
- H.J. Lamprell Ltd.
 RV Platessa | |
| History | |
|---|---|
   United Kingdom | |
| Name | RV Platessa (LT205) |
| Owner |
|
| Operator | Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom) |
| Ordered | 26 February 1944[1] |
| Builder | East Anglian Constructors, Oulton Broad[1] |
| Commissioned | April 1946[1] |
| In service | 1946-1967[2] |
| Home port | Lowestoft |
| Identification | MFV 1576 |
| Fate | Hulked at Lake Lothing[3] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | '1501-Class' MFV |
| Type |
|
| Length | 27 m (88 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion | 4 Cyl. diesel engine by Crossley Bros., Manchester. 240 B.H.P[4] |
| Speed | 9 knots (10 mph; 17 km/h)[4] |
| Complement | 11 crew [4] |
| Armament | 1 20mm AA machine gun[4] |
RV Platessa (LT205) was a fisheries research vessel that was operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom) - Directorate of Fisheries, now known as the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) between 1946 and 1967.[2]
RV Platessa was based at the port of Lowestoft and was originally ordered by the Admiralty as one of 81 Motor Fishing Vessels (MFVs) in the ‘1501-Class’ during World War II.[4] Motor fishing vessels were small wooden craft, built-in large numbers during the war for use as Ship's tenders.
Constructed as MFV 1576 by East Anglian Constructors at Oulton Broad, she was ordered on 26 February 1944, but not completed by the end of the wartime.[1] Trials began in April 1946, and she was taken into service (but not ownership) as an unfinished hull by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (United Kingdom) and converted to a fishing research vessel. She was adapted to carry a trawl on her starboard side. The Platessa's work was almost equally divided between co-operation with the RV Sir Lancelot in the East Anglian herring fishery survey, plaice population surveys, plaice marking, mesh experiments and comparative fishing tests.[5]
In 1967 the RV Platessa was handed back to the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) after 20 years in service, she was replaced by the RV Corella.[5] In 1968 the RV Platessa was sold to private owners (H.J. Lamprell Ltd) and after sinking in Hamilton Dock, Lowestoft in 1975 she was eventually hulked at Lake Lothing where her remains lay for many years. She was recorded as still extant in Lake Lothing on 19 August 2015,[3] and she continues to exist as one of two wooden wrecks (the other being the MFV Yellowtail) in the central basin.