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Bird class Large Patrol Boats – 1975

The Bird class patrol craft are general purpose vessels designed for patrol and fishery protection tasks in United Kingdom coastal and inshore waters. An order for four was placed in late 1972. The Bird class of patrol craft have a speed of some 18 knots and a deep displacement of 194 tonnes. Both figures are in accordance with the specification called for in the contract. The patrol craft have a speed of some 18 to 20 knots, a range of 2,000 nautical miles, and an endurance of 10 days victualling stores.

A contract for four was placed on 10th November 1972 with Richard Dunstan's (Hessle) Ltd., of North Humberside, but delays in delivery dates were experienced due to labour and technical difficulties. The first Bird Class patrol boat, HMS Kingfisher, entered service in 1975. The first of the class, "HMS Kingfisher", was delivered some 18 months later than originally planned. Another three Bird Class patrol craft were then under construction. The contract was let in November 1972 and the first three vessels "Kingfisher", "Cygnet" and "Petrel" were accepted into service in October 1975, July 1976 and January 1977 respectively, some two years later than originally planned. The fourth vessel, "Sandpiper" was accepted into service in 1977. They wre reputed to cost £1 million each. No new orders were placed.

The UK had an Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 miles around the shores of the islands with the longest coastline in Europe. In addition to fishing activities there, there were other activities like oil extraction. The Bird class was not designed for oil rig protection.

The difficulties with fishery protection were well illustrated by the humiliations which Britain uffered in the unhappy cod war. There was the sad sight of expensive and sophisticated but thin-skinned frigates being cast in a role for which they were never designed. Though they were handled with great devotion and brilliance under very arduous conditions, this could not compensate for the fundamental unsuitability of the vessels when they found themselves being, frankly, trounced by the tough Icelandic gunboats in the hands of specialists.

By May 1976 the first of class, HMS "Kingfisher", was undergoing trials in the fishery protection rôle. The Royal Navy had 11 ships regularly engaged in fishery protection patrols around the United Kingdom. The ships consist of eight mine countermeasures vessels, two Bird class patrol vessels and one fast patrol 487W boat. In addition the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland has five fishery protection vessels in service. Five new Royal Navy ships of the Island class were ordered in 1975 for future offshore tasks including fishery protection and the protection of oil and gas installations.

By late 1976 two Bird class patrol ships—"Kingfisher" and "Cygnet"—are currently in service with the Fishery Protection Squadron. They were designed for work in coastal waters only and are weather-limited.

By January 1977 HMS "Peterel" was allocated to the RNR North Western Group, which comprises the Ulster, Clyde and Mersey Divisions, and based 65W at HMS "Graham" in Glasgow. HMS "Sandpiper" after acceptance in August 1977 was to be allocated to the RNR Channel Group, which includes the London, Sussex and Solent Divisions, ande based at HMS "President" in London.

Two Bird class patrol craft, HM Ships "Kingfisher" and "Cygnet", were withdrawn from fishery protection duties in August 1977 in order that their performance on other operational tasks could be evaluated.

In 1997, the former Royal Navy vessel, HMS Cygnet, was sold by Her Majesty’s Government. The buyer, who renamed her Duanas, wanted her delivered to Morocco and recruited a crew through a reputable international agency, Crewseekers Ltd. Its website describes it as “the original and premier yacht crew agency...We offer a wide variety of exciting crewing opportunities worldwide...Many gap-year students and people seeking a life-style change join us for travel and adventure! ... Crewseekers has members in over 50 countries around the globe, and since 1990 has introduced thousands of yacht owners and crew.”

Among them are John Packwood, Henry Stableford, Oliver Bennett and Colin Bocquillon from Cowes on the Isle of Wight. They were paid £40 a day to deliver the Duanas to its new owner in Morocco. In short, they did what thousands of Britons, some professional and some amateur, do every day. On arrival in port at Agadir on 11 April 1997, the Duanas and her crew were thoroughly searched, and were given the all-clear by Moroccan customs officials. The job was done and the crew flew home to England on 13 April. However, unbeknown to my four constituents, the Duanas’s new owners were members of a Colombian drug cartel.