Thornycroft HS Target Towing Launch for sale in Cuxton United Kingdom

Amiens RASC

Major works carried out in 2024, can be seen in descriptions and further detail and photographs are available on request

Amiens is a truly unique vessel. She is one of 14 Battlefield Class high speed target towing launches built by Thornycroft for the MOD in 1944 and is believed to be the only seagoing vessel left of her class. There is some incredible history behind this vessel from her service days with the Royal Army Service Corp as well as her time in commercial use as a survey vessel when she surveyed the sea floor for the Channel Tunnel. Since her current owners purchased her, she has had an extensive amount of works completed both interior and exterior and is currently used as a fully functioning liveaboard.

Amiens RASC is registered both on Part 1 of the Ships Register and the National Historic Ships Register

2024 Re-Fit

• Spent copper sheathing along keel section replaced with fibreglass sheathing
• Applied fresh Coppercoat treatment
• Lower chines strengthened and reinforced to facilitate boat lifting in slings
• Propellers reprofiled, dressed and balanced
• Replaced cutlass bearings
• Replaced both inboard shaft retaining nuts
• Removed redundant skin fittings
• Serviced stuffing gland boxes

Mechanical

- The large engine room is located just aft of the Saloon and leads through to the Master aft cabin

- The engine room gives very easy access to all areas of the engines and gearboxes

- There is good space throughout for tools and mechanical equipment

- Rolls Royce supercharged C6SFLM diesel inboard engines on shafts with hydraulic Self Change gear boxes

- Purchased in 1994 from the MOD, we are advised the engines and gearboxes were rebuilt by Perkins to Lloyds A1 standard and the hour meters reset to 0. Actual date of build is unknown

- Economic cruising at 8 - 10 knots

- The port engine has 454 hours

- The starboard engine has 427 hours

- Both engines fitted with Racor twin diesel fuel filter/water separator with integral changeover switch

- Dual station hydraulic steering with Morse controls (flybridge and wheelhouse)

- 3 x fuel tanks (below Saloon floor) with total capacity of 6364 litres (port and starboard 1,682L centre 3000L)

Wheelhouse

- Morse controls

- Gauges consist of RPM, oil pressure, temperature, battery voltage, rudder angle indicator and fuel gauges above the dashboard

Flybridge

- Morse (gold tipped) controls

- Gauges consist of RPM, oil pressure, temperature, battery voltage, and rudder angle indicator

Electrical

- Victron Energie Phoenix Combi 24v 2,000W 50A (Inverter/Battery Charger) with BMV 501 battery monitor and control panel fitted in wheelhouse

- AQM6 Water Pressure System 24v. Fresh water output of 55 liters per minute. Self prining with 20l accumulator tank

- Simpson & Lawrence Pacific V4000 electronic anchor winch

- Fischer Panda 8KVA generator with fuel filter/water separator and expansion tank. Remote start / control panel fitted in wheelhouse

- Silent generator water separation exhaust system, water outlet below water line, exhaust outlet above waterline

- Weather monitor 240v with external temperature sensor fitted to flybridge

- 2 x 12v Varta LFD 230AH sealed service batteries (port side) fitted January 2020, wired in series to provide 24v

- Service battery isolation switch

- 2 x 12v Exide Start Pro 215AH wet cell starter batteries (starboard side), wired in series to provide 24v

- Battery selector switch to dual together service and starter batteries

- Additional 12v batteries for the Generator, S&L anchor winch and 12v electronics

- 12v supply (with 24v to 12v charger)

- Generous number of mains sockets and lighting, both 24v and 240v, throughout the vessel including shaver sockets in Midship Head and en-suite

- Electric hoist fitted to boom for lifting equipment and RIB on and off the vessel, 240v

- TV aerial / satellite connections in saloon and master cabin

- Satellite TV dish

- 2 x BT broadband and landline telephone sockets to enable connection to shore when moored either portside or starboard side to pontoon

- JVC CD/Radio with speakers in wheelhouse and flybridge

- CCTV system

- Rutland wind generator and Marlec controller

- Fuse boxes and breaker boxes for 12, 24 and 240v circuits

- Earth/Galvanic isolator

- 3 x exterior rated 240v sockets

- 4 x automatic bilge pumps

- 2 x shore supply sockets port and starboard

- 24v deck-wash seawater pump

Navigation

- Dual station Furuno NavNet system

- Marine Radar 1934C-BB

- Colour Video Plotter GD-1920C-BB (flybridge)

- Second colour monitor with control pad and trackwheel (wheelhouse)

- Depth Sounder and heading sensor

- Both wheelhouse and flybridge installation can be operated together or operated independently to provide back-up should one fail

- Rudder angle indicator

- Vertex Standard VHF Radio with microphone, MMSI, with whip aerial

- Garmin GPS – sends position data to VHF radio (wheelhouse)

- Eagle Magna II depth sounder – backup (wheelhouse)

- Seafarer Wind Indicator (wheelhouse)

- Ritchie Electronic Compass (wheelhouse)

- North Star Depth Sounder (flybridge) sends NMEA signal to Furuno NavNet

- Ships original compass (flybridge)

- Horn – button both on flybridge and wheelhouse

- 2 sets of signalling flags

- Black ball ‘ship at anchor’ signal

- Port and starboard navigation lights

- Masthead and stern lights

- Auxiliary steaming light

Interior & Domestic

Interior and Accommodation

- Enter through the port and starboard side doors to the wheelhouse

- The wheel house consists of 2 very comfortable helm and navigator chairs along with a double bench style seat to port and a navigator's station to starboard

- Mixture of teak flooring and carpet throughout the wheelhouse

- Steps to the flybridge

- Enter through to the saloon via the port side step and door

- The Saloon has a very comfortable leather L shaped sofa with internal storage to the starboard side

- Freestanding leather upholstered tub chair on port side

- Built in storage cupboard on the starboard side

- Beautiful folding height adjustable dining table

- Built in drinks cabinet complete with full set of crystal glassware (wine, champagne and whisky tumblers) on the port side

- Lots of good storage space and shelving space in the Saloon

- Large deck hatch with a hand wound mechanism. Can be released and fully opened for access purposes

- Head towards the aft of the Saloon where you will find the steps into the engine room

- A small workshop/tool storage area can be found on the starboard side of the engine room

- Further aft of the engine room is the master aft cabin with en-suite bathroom

- The master cabin has fantastic head room and big open windows giving beautiful natural light throughout

- Storage space is provided for with two wardrobes and chest of drawers on both sides of the cabin whilst a beautiful ceiling fan keeps the air circulating

- Port side there is an en-suite with 3/4 length bath with shower attachment, sink vanity unit and electric flush toilet

- 3 x fresh water tanks with total capacity of approx 360 gallons are built in under the floor

- Head back through the engine room and saloon and down the steps into the forward accommodation.

- On the port side you will find the midships head with built in laundry bin and sink

- Next to the head is a small office cabin with two single bunks, a wardrobe, desk and plenty of shelving.

- On the starboard side you will find the well equipped galley.

- The large galley has fitted cupboards, a larder cupboard, washing machine, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, electric oven, gas hob with an extractor hood and microwave

- Sink and half sink with a Brita mixer tap with integrated filter for drinking water

- Walk through the semi-watertight bulkhead door into the forward accommodation

- The forward section consists of a separate head, separate shower room and a single berth which converts into a ‘french-style’ double

- Storage is catered for with a full length wardrobe, chest of drawers with linen storage above and a built in desk/dressing table with cupboard space below.

Heating and Ventilation

- Kabola 24v B17TAP 19.7Kw diesel fired boiler providing domestic hot water and central heating to 8 radiators and 2 towel radiators

- 2 x reverse cycle MarineAir air conditioning units in saloon and master cabin (provide both cool and warm air or just recirculate air in cabin)

- Multiple 24 v ventilation fans :

- 4 large engine room fans of which 2 exhaust air from the engine room and 2 variable speed fans draw air in

- Underdeck fans provide ventilation to the galley, saloon, midship head, office, shower room, bow cabin and forward head through ducting running both sides of the boat in the forward compartments

- 2 x Bilge blowers in the tank space

- Small extractor fans located in forward head, bow cabin shower room, midship head and en-suite; fans in the midship head and en-suite operated by the light pull.

- Ceiling fan 240v in master suite

- Demist fan to forward facing windows in wheelhouse, can circulate hot air from central heating, cold air from aircon or recirculate cabin air

Sanitary

- Forward Head - manually operated Simpson and Lawrence toilet (ship’s original), with sea water flush into holding tank; emptying either overboard with manual Whale pump or vacuum pump-out at marina service point via deck fitting

- Midships Head – Jabsco 24v Deluxe Flush macerator toilet with fresh water flush, pumps directly overboard

- En-suite - Jabsco 24v Deluxe Flush macerator toilet with fresh water flush into holding tank; emptying either overboard with electric pump (manual back-up pump fitted in-line) or vacuum pump-out at marina service point via deck fitting

- Hand basins in both forward and midship head

- Large shower with sump and electric pump-out overboard

- En-suite bath (3/4 length) with shower attachment and hand basin

Deck

- Teak laid deck throughout the exterior of the boat

- Heavy duty mahogany rubbing strake with stainless steel chafe protectors, port and starboard

- 2 Sampson posts on forward deck with fairleads and cleats throughout

- Stainless steel stanchions with 6 mm stainless safety wires surround the deck

- 2 teak boarding ladders, one designed for boarding from pontoon height, the other for boarding from the water. For use on either side of the boat.

- 2 x 36kg galvanised plough anchor (approx weight)

- 120 feet/36.5m approx linked galvanised anchor chain securely fastened to eye bolt in chain locker

- Simpson & Lawrence Pacific V4000 electronic winch with chain counter – can be operated from on deck or remotely from flybridge and wheelhouse

- Brass portholes and exterior window frames

- Large open deck spaces from bow to stern

- Mast and boom lifting derrick fitted with an electric hoist, used for lifting heavy equipment on/off the boat and for launching and recovering the RIB.

- Lifting frame to raise engine room hatches

- Boom tent deck shade

- Water tap mounted on aft starboard side of saloon, can supply fresh or sea water via sea water pump and fresh water pump in engine room

- 2 storage lockers forward of wheelhouse for ropes and equipment

- 1 dedicated ventilated gas locker with 2 x 13kg propane gas bottles

- Flag mast with ships flags

Flybridge

- Spacious flybridge with stippled non-slip surface offering a fantastic 360 degree view

- Accessible via steps from the wheelhouse through a sliding door and via a fixed ladder from the aft deck

- Single swivel helm seat on port side with stainless steering wheel, Morse controls, Nav station and repeater gauges

- Starboard side single swivel seat

- Stainless steel folding radar arch

- Wind generator

- Satellite dish

Safety

- Fire extinguisher Dry Powder 6kg – engine room fully serviced in 2022

- 2 x Fire extinguisher CO2 2kg – galley and wheelhouse purchased in 2022

- Fire blanket – galley

- Pilot Gas alarm system with automatic gas shut-off facility. Two sensors fitted in galley and control panel located in wheelhouse

- 2 x life rings

- CCTV system with multiple cameras on deck and in engine room

- Emergency exit ladder and hatch from master cabin

- Emergency exit ladder and hatch from bow cabin

- 2 x Smoke detectors located in galley doorway and engine room companionway

- 4 x serviceable manual bilge pumps located on starboard side of deck drawing from bow cabin, galley, tank space and master cabin compartments

- 4 x Automatic electric bilge pumps with manual override switches located in bow cabin, galley companionway, engine room and master cabin

- Kent clearview screen at lower helm position

Miscellaneous

- Spares, tools and materials specific to the maintenance of the vessel are included in the sale

- Furniture, fittings and other equipment can be included subject to negotiation with the owners

- Valiant D-340 Tender with Honda Outboard included in the purchase price

Owners Comments

- We purchased Amiens in 1998 in an unrestored condition. We managed to source original drawings from the Greenwich Maritime Museum so we could ensure that any changes we made either matched her original lines (the rebuilt aft cabin and wheelhouse) or was sympathetic to the style of the boat (the flybridge addition). We have a photographic record of her renovation and some details of her history that will remain with her.