Tender Arrangement
View from the shore of former Boat Deck.
Initially, Fir had two tenders housed on the 02 aft deck, or rear boat deck. Gantry cranes were mounted to each side, and the winch was centered in the middle of the deck. Essentially the entire deck was consumed by the tenders and associated equipment. Meanwhile the forward 01 deck, was kept clear for Fir to hoist buoys aboard for repair.
For our purposes, a better arrangement would be to use the forward deck for tenders while keeping the rear deck open and unobstructed . To preserve Fir's integrity, the gantries will remain in place, but the operating equipment will be removed, and the tenders redistributed.
Former Boat Deck as seen from the aft rail. A 1940s "crew boat" is the tender to starboard. Parts of more modern inflatable is seen to port.
Boat deck February 2018. Tenders have been removed. Cradles for the boats relocated to foredeck. Gantries welded in place and their operating mechanism removed.
Overlooking our new boat deck. The 7-meter Willard on its cradles can accommodate up to 18. The other tender will be mounted to port. The crane in the foreground will be used to launch the tenders.