R F A ORANGELEAF

[peter j. fitzpatrick]

Hearing rumours in Birkenhead that the orangeleaf has been sold for scrap
Can anyone confirm this please
Peter

[Jon Godsell]

Peter,

She was de-commissioned last week, has been de-stored and the anchor's have been lifted; just waiting for the tug to take her to her final destination. The Black will follow her in due course.

Jon.

[peter j. fitzpatrick]

Thanks Jon
Can you keep me informed on her departure as I would like to see her go
Destination will probably be aliaga turkey
Peter

[degzie]

Hi This link was passed onto me about the OrangeLeaf
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/september/29/150929-orangeleaf-retires-from-rfa-service

[peter j. fitzpatrick]

Thanks degzie lets see where she is of to

[Kelvin Davies]

Been away from home for some time so I am a bit late to this discussion.
However, this whole topic has had me wound up for a couple of years now. Ever since a government minister announced that contracts for the replacement Tide class vessles would be built in Korea.
It wasn't just that statement that annoyed me, it was the stupid sod's reply when asked why his office had not bothered with a joint venture proposal from Fincantieri & Cammell Laird to build them here in the UK. He said "we don't build tankers in the UK".
Really? Appleleaf, Brambleleaf, Bayleaf, Pearleaf, & Orangeleaf were all built in the UK. 4 of them were in fact built by Cammell Laird at the same yard that managed to recently complete a big refit of Orangeleaf (2011) and has been contracted by MoD to carry out refits on 9 of the RFA's 13 ships. I have no idea which pocket any bungs may go to (not implying anything untoward here!).
And didn't they pick a great time to flog off Orangeleaf; 4 years after an expensive refit and at a time when scrap steel is going for peanuts (

[peter j. fitzpatrick]

Kelvin
Yes you are right but who listens to us working people
No one
So what do we do !
So what can we do ?
We say goodbye to a well built British tanker that has out lived all of her other merchant vessels
Look at the chinese built ships that are only ten years old and gone to scrap already
Someone's making a packet somewhere but who
Peter

[Ian Horsfall]

Kelvin, thanks for taking the time to post about the OL, I agree it was dumb to build in Korea,but some one on here corrected me and said no capacity to build in Uk plus they will be built on time and on budget, every one is to busy building an aircraft carrier.
The general public has no idea how much work is created in country that builds its own ships and cars.
Ian

[peter j. fitzpatrick]

Any news on her departure and last destination
Peter

[davidships]

She's has been at Birkenhead since, I think, June 2014.
No sign of suitable tug heading for Liverpool area yet.

[peter j. fitzpatrick]

Thanks David, just returned from Cyprus photos to follow
Peter

[Kelvin Davies]

An update on Orangeleaf; she was dragged out of Birkenhead docks on 24th February by the tug Diavlos Pride, and is now en route to Aliaga.
Unfortunately, I chose that day to return home from Merseyside so missed it!
Here's a pic taken by someone else:
http://my.pinkfroot.com/photo/rfa-orangeleaf-a110-4
Kelvin

[davidships]

DIAVLOS PRIDE will apparently return for BLACK ROVER (IMO 7329338).

[Clydee]

Here is a shot by Barry Graham which received more hits than his other shots the same day

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2414117

[Barry Graham]

Orangeleaf made a poignant sight as she left Birkenhead for the last time, having been built in nearby Cammell Laird's as the civilian tanker Hudson Progress in 1979.  According to Marine Traffic her ETA in Aliaga is 14 March. As davidships says, it is believed that Black Rover will be making the same journey soon and I've heard a similar rumour about Fort Rosalie.