The HMS Plymouth Trust, The failed attempt to save a ship from scrapping and WERE IS THE MONEY!!!!!

As above really!!! Why has the "trusts" SOLE director not been seen or heard from for over 3 weeks?????

according to now edited Facebook posts the "trust" has ran up a huge legal bill!! but no-one is saying how much this bill actually is???? WHY, public donations were used in this "fight"

How much was raised by PUBLIC donation to this failed cause and WHY is the "trusts" webpage still accepting donations to fight for a ship that has been scrapped for over a month?????

Is the "trust" now obtaining monies by deception??????

UKIP even donated some £500 at the start of this, are they aware of the groups conduct throughout or more importantly the conduct of its director??

HMS Plymouth, the HMS Plymouth trust, save HMS Plymouth F126

After witnessing the failed attempt at saving HMS Plymouth over the last few weeks i feel i have to put a few things on my lowly little blog.

For the most part the campaign to save the ship has been funded by publicly donated money, the problem now lies in the fact that the "trusts" webpage has NOT been updated with the very relevant facts like THE SHIP IS NOW SCRAPPED AND HAS BEEN FOR SOME TIME!!!

If you are reading this and you have donated you might want to email the "trust" and inquire as to were your money is and what it is now bieng used for?? also if you are reading this and have not donated you may also want to email the trust and ask why they are continuing with donation requests and for what purpose

the "trusts" webpage is here.. HMS Plymouth trust

The "trusts" SOLE director can be contacted using this email..  sharpe_stevens@yahoo.co.uk

The day before the ship was towed out of Birkenhead the "trust" asked for donations to cover the cost of an application for an arrest warrant on the vessel, this would in theory prevent her from being towed away, some £5000 was raised in very short order.  The warrant was never even applied for and members of the Save HMS Plymouth Facebook group were BANNED for asking questions about the publicly raised monies!!! this banning even included ex serviceman who were on the ship during the Falklands war!!!

A Turkish court was approached in the application of an injuction to prevent the ships scrapping upon arrival at Aliaga. some £12000 was placed into the court as "sureties". the injunction was REFUSED and in theory the 12K should have been returned to the "trust" but upto now no-one has said were this money actually is and again people have been banned for asking or labelled as "trolls" and trouble makers for even asking perfectly reasonable quesions

Last week there was an attempt at purchasing the ship from the scrapyard, this was in theory a sound idea BUT the trip for 2 men was costed at some £700 and was paid for again by public donations!! The post trip report stated some very questionable items with regards to Peel holdings involvement and the Ministry of Defence BUT what was posted on Facebook was very different to what one of the men who went over stated in the Plymouth Herald paper. Basically he refuted the MoD`s involvement claim made on Facebook, it was according to him completely UNTRUE.

EDIT 13th NOV 2014, to clear up some confusion on the above paragraph here is the link to the Plymouth Herald article which shows that the MOD`s involvement was not true or at least stated as not bieng according to paperwork.

Plymouth Herald article

Finally (for now) if you want to see for yourself the confusion and complete lack of any coordination of the group pop along to their Facebook page and have a look for yourself, while your there see if you can find ANYTHING at all relevant about a failed campaign that was funded by publicly donated money by a man that has not been seen or heard from for nearly 3 weeks

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SAVE.HMS.PLYMOUTH.OPEN/?fref=ts

Dont ask any "awkward" questions as you might find yourself banned!!!!

HMS Plymouth F126 now scrapped in Turkey

following link to the Plymouth Herald webpage were pictures have been published showing the frigate being scrapped. A sad end for a vessel with such an illustrious history

HMS Plymouth scrapped in Turkey

HMS Plymouth F126 at Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping

A number of images have emerged over the last few days, the 1st showed Plymouth "anchored" off the beach at the scrapyard, the 2nd 2 images show her being moved up onto the beach proper.

 i have linked below to the new images that went on twitter today

The Facebook group fighting to save Plymouth have stated that they have lawyers attending a turkish court today seeking an injunction to prevent the vessels demolition BUT if the above images were taken yesterday or the day before then the scrapping may well have already started

HMS Plymouth beached in turkey

UPDATE, THE SHIP IS NOW SCRAPPED AND HAS BEEN FOR AT LEAST 3 WEEKS SO PLEASE DONT DONATE ON THE "TRUSTS" WEBPAGE.

HMS Plymouth position update 9th sept

Despite rumours and statements to the contrary HMS Plymouth was "delivered" to the turkish scrap yard this morning. She wasnt held up off coast because of a legal fight, she was awaiting local tugs to take on the tow, they did this a few hours ago and the original towing tug Amber 2 is now mooring up in Aliaga port probably to refuel before her next job

there will be no more AIS updates as Plymouth is "dead ship" and without power.

HMS Plymouth F126 current position, 9th sept 2014

Ex-RN frigate HMS Plymouth has arrived at the breakers yard in Aliaga, Turkey. The towing tug Amber 2 seems to be loitering off the coast but has been visited by local tenders. there is now a formally lodged legal claim on Plymouths ownership and that coupled with a Greenpeace involvement over her supposedly containing "hazardous" materials will probably delay things from now on. She has yet to be beached or tied up alongside although this could change in the next 24 hours

HMS Plymouth F126 position update 31st Aug 2014

Courtesy of Vesselfinder, here`s Plymouth`s current position.

Under tow by the tug Amber 2, will be passing north of Algiers in next 48 hrs

really cant see much happening as she transits the Med on her way to Turkey. Lots of "noise" on the Facebook groups page about her but nothing of relevance with regards to anything concrete about her future

HMS Plymouth F126 position update 30th Aug 2014

seems to be a coverage gap on Marinetraffic so this update comes courtesy of VesselFinder.

Plymouth under tow from tug Amber 2 now passing north of Oran, Algeria.

vessel finder

Marine traffic ais

UPDATE!!! THE SHIP IS NOW SCRAPPED AND HAS BEEN FOR OVER 3 WEEKS, PLEASE DO NOT DONATE ON THE HMS PLYMOUTH TRUSTS WEBPAGE AS IT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED TO SHOW THE FULL FACTS AND THE MAN WHO RAN THE FAILED CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE SHIP HAS "DISAPPEARED"

HMS Plymouth F126 position update 29th Aug 2014

Ex-Royal Navy type 12 frigate HMS Plymouth currently under tow by the tug Amber 2 on her way to Turkey for scrapping has passed thru the Straits of Gibraltar without incident!

There was no "arrest", her prop shaft seal has not yet "failed" she has not "sunk" because of an "incompetent" tug  crew,  and none of the other myriad of problems/issues that have been suggested took place.

HMS Plymouth F126 position update 28th Aug 1014

HMS Plymouth, currently under tow by tug Amber 2, is now approaching the Straits of Gibraltar.

As efforts to "save" her are ongoing it was revealed today that to effect an arrest of the vessel, therefor stopping her scrapping, would cost in the region of £20K!!!!! significantly more than the original £5K that was raised as she was bieng towed from Birkenhead. The ownership is contested and this will probably drag things out, while all the time she is getting nearer to the cutting torch!

HMS Plymouth F126 on her way to Turkey for scrapping (position update)

Ex RN frigate HMS Plymouth is currently under tow by the tug Amber 2 on her way to Aliaga in Turkey to be scrapped. The frigate itself cannot be tracked on AIS as she is a "dead tow" and without power, but the tug doing the towing can be tracked, heres a screenshot from Marinetraffic showing her current position.

HMS Plymouth F126 on the move in Bikenhead docks 20th Aug 2014

Several short clips put into one video of the moving of HMS Plymouth during the early hours of 20th August 2014. I dont shoot a lot of video as you can tell from whats above.

HMS Plymouth F126 leaving Merseyside, towed for scrap 20th August 2014

After a couple of days delay for weather the ex-RN type 12 frigate HMS Plymouth F126 was towed out of Birkenhead docks during the early hours of today. After spending many years moored and unkempt she was a  sorry sight and it certainly was not a fitting end for a vessel with such history.

At the end of the day as i said in an earlier post it all came down to money or lack of it for any realistic and viable long term plan for her, there has been several attempts, there is one ongoing right now as i type this up involving "crowd" funding and Admiralty arrest warrants, with ownership contested it was never going to be  a smooth ride. Protests to prevent her leaving did not materialise, and thankfully neither did any of the other "ideas" to prevent her removal some of which were illegal

Its very easy to view the whole Plymouth issue through rose tinted glasses with a naive hope of all will be ok at the end of the day BUT realistically it was not to be. the currently ongoing legal action may well bring about a favourable result and i think this would be a great outcome but i for one am not holding my breath

I enjoyed visiting her and the submarine HMS Onyx when on display in Birkenhead many years ago and it was a shame that it came to an end but when it did Plymouth became a liability rather than an asset! The crown was not interested as she had been decommissioned and sold privately (this aspect of her history is to this day disputed), Peel holding ended up holding the baby so to speak and she was berthed in Vittoria dock from then on. Interest in her seems to come and go but only a few years ago i rang Peel to enquire about her future (there was a lot of rumour at the time and i looked into it as i am a forum admin at ShipAIS), i was told that there had been several "offers" for Plymouth but all came to nought. Recently Peel announced that it had signed a deconstruction contract with an unnamed company operating in turkey, obviously this sale was always going to ruffle a few feathers  (and did it!!) From a business standpoint its easy to see why this was a viable option, the ships age, environmental concerns, security and safety to name a few. Given that she has been in her current position for many years the costs have mounted and no one else was paying for it maybe her sale will go some way as to recoup some of the money spent.

Don't get me wrong i am in no way claiming that the whole saga is "by the book" and Peel have been the "lilliewhite boys" in it BUT realistically if there was no long term plan/money coming forward at the eleventh hour i cant really see another outcome

here's a selection of pics taken this morning...

UPDATE, THE SHIP IS NOW SCRAPPED AND HAS BEEN FOR OVER 3 WEEKS, PLEASE DO NOT DONATE ON THE "TRUSTS" WEBPAGE AS IT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED TO SHOW THE FULL FACTS AND THE MAN WHO RAN THE CAMPAIGN HAS TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES DISAPEARED!!!!!

HMS Plymouth and  Smit Sandon

HMS Plymouth F126

HMS Plymouth and Tug Amber2 in Alfred basin awaiting the tide

The soon to be lost BUT recovered towing chains

Exiting Alfred lock

Despite her appearance she is still a great looking ship 

Did not expect the backdrop on exiting the lock

HMS Plymouth outbound 

HMS Plymouth images

Decided to dump all my Plymouth pics  in one post after finding some of them on various sites and groups over the past few days. Dont mind images bieng used but if you have time to post an image you have time to post credit/link to the OWNER of that image

Interest in the vessel has peaked right now as she is due to be towed to Turkey for scrapping.

If you want to use an image then please ask in comments or send me a quick email, if its not for commercial use i will almost always say yes