Monday, October 17, 2011
A recce
Today we have three military personal from the Port Troop and the captain of the tug on George Island. They are doing a recce of the beach to see if they can use the miltary landing craft to land an Eager Beaver on George Island. We have been trying to get the Eager Beaver here and a tractor and Shauns Surf on to Speedwell for two years. Not too many years ago we could have them landed here by our coastal shipping vessel on a sea truck. Our government however had been receiving disspensation from the MCA to land them because they exceeded the weight that the sea trucks were officially allowed to carry. We asked if disspensation could again be given to land the above vehicles but the reply from the MCA was that our government had been given disspensation for 14 years to get their house in order and no it would no longer be granted. So today after two long years of struggle to get much needed machinery onto our islands we are perhaps a little closer. The personal will be picked up again today by FIGAS and will then fly up to Speedwell Island and also undertake a recce there. Even if we are successful and we do manage to get these vehciles out this is not a permanent solution only a very expensive sticky plaster on a problem that not only affects us but other islands to. A problem that is long overdue a solution.
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You send me scurrying to find out what you are talking about. I had to find an image on you tube to know what an eager beaver was andI had to visit The Workboat site to get an idea of what a sea truck is. Also I could guess what a sticky plaster was. Here we call them by a brand name "Bandaid". My French Canadian neighbours call them plasters. I also had to look up "recce"
ReplyDeleteI hope the military helps you move you equipment.
I live in Guernsey in the Channel islands, but I used to serve in the Army. My wife served as the dentist in the Falklands and my father built the cable and wireless dish down there in 83/84 so despite not having been there myself I feel I ihave ties with the Islands. I have enjoyed reading your blog very much. I hope the team from the Port and Maritime help you out. Thanks for your great blog, and I hope that you are able to visit mine at http://johncbuchanan.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteHi John,
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you. I can't access my followers list for some reason and have not been able to for ages. I've only got 9. Communications have come a long way since 83/84 but we still complain about it, mainly the price. Our internet packages are horrendously expensive. What year was your wife here? The first planned move for the equipment has now come and gone but we are hopeful for Monday next week.
Hi Philip,
ReplyDeleteDid you find a picture of the Eager Beaver. I think they are probably obsolete now. We purchased this one two years ago, it is ex military and very old but still does a good job. We have just been discussing who will drive the vehicles of the landing craft if they do arrive and Christopher suggested that I would stay here and he would go to Speedwell. There has to be someone on each island. This would seem an okay idea. I can drive pretty much anything. He then mentioned that it swivels in the middle. This means the back wheels don't behave the same as those on a conventional vehicle. Given the fact that there is only inches to spare to get it through the bow door, I don't think so Christopher. Going to need a re-think, I think.
Yes I did find a picture of an Eager Beaver on Falklands. I read 8 came their with the military during the war, to unload landing barges and move skids of materials around.
ReplyDelete