THV Galatea

THV Galatea is a lighthouse tender operated by Trinity House, the body responsible for the operation of lighthouses and marine navigation aids around the coasts of England, Wales and the Channel Islands.

History
United Kingdom
Name: Galatea
Owner: Williams & Glyn's Leasing Company
Operator: Trinity House
Port of registry: London
Ordered: 11 March 2004[1]
Builder: Remontowa, Gdańsk, Poland
Laid down: 11 October 2005
Launched: 26 July 2006 by Mrs Jane de Halpert, wife of Trinity House’s Executive Chairman
Christened: 17 October 2007, London
Homeport: Harwich
Identification:
Status: Active
General characteristics
Class and type: Lloyd's + 100A1, +LMC, +UMS, CAS, DP(AA)
Type: Multi-Function Tender
Tonnage:
  • 3,569 GT
  • Net Tonnage: 1,101 NT
Displacement: Deadweight: 1233 tonnes
Length: o/a: 84.20m BP: 75.00m
Beam: 16.5 m
Height: Air Draught 30 m
Draught: 4.25 m
Depth: to Main Deck: 7.20 m
Installed power:
  • 3 × Wärtsilä 8L20 (1,368 ekW)
  • 2 × Wärtsilä 4L20 (684 ekW)
Propulsion: Diesel-electric: Rolls Royce Azimuth Propellers; Two Bow Thrusters
Speed: 12.5 knots
Endurance: 35 days
Capacity: 30 cabins
Complement: 8 Officers & 11 PO/Crew
Aviation facilities: forward helicopter flight deck
Notes: [2][3]

History

THV Galatea was launched in July 2006, replacing the THV Mermaid, in service with Trinity House since 1987. Mermaid was sold to the Gardline group of Great Yarmouth, for conversion to survey vessel.[4] Galatea is a sister vessel to the NLV Pharos.[5] The Queen and Prince Philip visited the Pool of London on 17 October 2007 for the naming of Galatea, moored alongside HMS Belfast.[3]

This is the second Trinity House vessel named Galatea. The first, a paddle yacht built in 1868, served Trinity House until 1895. She was named in honour of HMS Galatea which had recently completed a round-the-world voyage under the command of Queen Victoria's second son, Captain the Duke of Edinburgh, who was Master of Trinity House at the time. Galatea attended the commissioning of Eddystone, Wolf and other lighthouses designed by Sir James Douglass.[6] Galatea featured in the 2008 BBC Documentary Comedy, Three Men in a Boat, where Dara Ó Briain, Rory McGrath and Griff Rhys Jones used the vessel to get to the Scilly isles.

In Greek mythology, Galatea was a sea nymph who attended Poseidon (the god of the sea). She loved Acis, the shepherd son of Pan. However, Acis was killed by the jealous Cyclops Polyphemus and, with her heart broken, Galatea turned into a stream of water.[6]

Service

THV Galatea provides aids to navigation for the safe passage of mariners, including maintenance work, buoy deployment, wreck location marking and towing. She is also able to carry out additional tasks such as hydrographic surveying and wreck finding and contract commercial work. She is equipped for:[7]

  • hydrographic surveys including bathymetry, side scan, sonar and wreck investigations
  • aids to navigation deployment, maintenance, repair and examination
  • research platforms for deployment and recovery of scientific equipment
  • sampling projects
  • marine hazard search and marking
  • lifting, towing and accurate positioning of marine equipment
  • recovery and re-establishment of off-station aids to navigation
  • sea trials of electronic and speciality equipment
  • helicopter support
  • safety boat assignments
  • guard duties for cable and pipe laying projects

References
  1. "Multi-Function Tenders for Trinity House". Remontowa SA. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  2. "NLV Galatea". Trinity House. Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  3. "Galatea Goes On Show". Maritime Journal. 15 November 2007. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  4. "Trinity House tender Galatea". Harwich Haven Ships and Yachts. 3 September 2007. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  5. "The General Lighthouse Fund 2005 - 2006" (pdf). The Stationery Office. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  6. "Sea nymph' Galatea replaces Mermaid as Trinity House tender". Boating Cornwall. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
  7. "Press Release: THV Galatea arrives in home port of Harwich". Trinity House. 23 July 2007. Archived from the original on 23 June 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
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