The Abergele company which owned and operated her as the ‘Chieftan’ were Connoly Diving Ltd. I worked on her as an A.B and Rescue boat driver for the Divers over 3 years on mostly civil engineering projects. I left as wasn’t confident about the prospect of taking her down to Africa but she made it ok bless her.
By Glen Martin (29/03/2022)
Sorry not have looked at this page for a few years. Glad to see that several folk have posted comments about relatives who worked on Yantlet. My interest in the ship comes from a model being given to my family when I was 7 years old. It was my job for several years to dust the model which was quite tricky. After a few years of dusting it was relegated to a black bag in the attic where it stayed for a very long time. After my mother died it passed to me and is now in nice new case. I knew nothing about the ship for years until by chance I found it listed in an old copy of Lloyd’s register. That got me interested and I have since amassed a lot of back articles about her from PLA news and photos of her when being built and launched on a miserable wet day in Renfrew in November 1954. They used a half bottle of something by the look of it. I took my son to see Yantlet creek a few years ago but alas it is too late now for me ever to see the ship. I don’t fancy a wild ship chase to Nigeria.
By R Caldow (05/02/2021)
My Father Ernie Hore was Diver on her for many years
By George Ernest Hore (08/08/2020)
Our Dad, Barry Ward, also worked on the Yantlet for many years in Gravesend in the 60s.
By Susan Movahedi (10/04/2020)
Hi Jack both my father and uncle skippered the Yantley for many years and i sppent many summer holidays on board great times. The PLA were assisting in the removel of the Thames estuary forts which parts of were taken to Cliffe to be blown up by the army
By Mike Starkey (17/01/2020)
My Grandad was the captain of the Yantlet, I’m not sure on the years tho. Our house is named Yantlet after it, in his memory. Love the photo.
By Carol Barnett (02/01/2020)
My dad worked on the yantlett for many years with the pla
By Louise Read (01/12/2019)
This is a great photo of a great salvage vessel.
By Mike (21/11/2018)
The Port of London Authority salvage vessel YANTLET was built in Scotland in 1955 and of 471 tons gross. After 32 years of service with the PLA, it was sold in 1987 to the first of a series of owners and areas of operation. Its next owner in 1987 was C-Lift Marine (London) Ltd, of Sandwich, Kent. It then went to owners in Aberdeen, Abergele and Guernsey. Its last recorded owner, Mountfield Services Ltd, of Guernsey, bought the vessel in 2000 and it was put up for sale in the following year. I do not have any information on its present owner, but apparently it is somewhere in Nigeria.
By Roger Jordan (13/07/2014)
If you “click” on the picture, you will be taken to a full version of the picture. If you are using Internet Explorer you can then “right click” and one of the options is to “save picture as” which will save a copy on your computer for your personal use.
NOTE: Jack Willis owns the copyright to these pictures and they must not be republished without his permission.
By John Matthews (04/06/2014)
Hi Jack
I like the photos you have posted of the Yantlet. Is there any chance you could mail me copies of these? Do you have a connection with this ship? I have a scale model of it which came from its original builder’s yard on the Clyde. I would love to hear from anyone who crewed on her while with the PLA. Sadly she now lies somewhere up a creek in the Delta region of Nigeria – never to be seen again.
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The Abergele company which owned and operated her as the ‘Chieftan’ were Connoly Diving Ltd. I worked on her as an A.B and Rescue boat driver for the Divers over 3 years on mostly civil engineering projects.
I left as wasn’t confident about the prospect of taking her down to Africa but she made it ok bless her.
Sorry not have looked at this page for a few years. Glad to see that several folk have posted comments about relatives who worked on Yantlet. My interest in the ship comes from a model being given to my family when I was 7 years old. It was my job for several years to dust the model which was quite tricky. After a few years of dusting it was relegated to a black bag in the attic where it stayed for a very long time. After my mother died it passed to me and is now in nice new case. I knew nothing about the ship for years until by chance I found it listed in an old copy of Lloyd’s register. That got me interested and I have since amassed a lot of back articles about her from PLA news and photos of her when being built and launched on a miserable wet day in Renfrew in November 1954. They used a half bottle of something by the look of it. I took my son to see Yantlet creek a few years ago but alas it is too late now for me ever to see the ship. I don’t fancy a wild ship chase to Nigeria.
My Father Ernie Hore was Diver on her for many years
Our Dad, Barry Ward, also worked on the Yantlet for many years in Gravesend in the 60s.
Hi Jack both my father and uncle skippered the Yantley for many years and i sppent many summer holidays on board great times. The PLA were assisting in the removel of the Thames estuary forts which parts of were taken to Cliffe to be blown up by the army
My Grandad was the captain of the Yantlet, I’m not sure on the years tho. Our house is named Yantlet after it, in his memory. Love the photo.
My dad worked on the yantlett for many years with the pla
This is a great photo of a great salvage vessel.
The Port of London Authority salvage vessel YANTLET was built in Scotland in 1955 and of 471 tons gross. After 32 years of service with the PLA, it was sold in 1987 to the first of a series of owners and areas of operation. Its next owner in 1987 was C-Lift Marine (London) Ltd, of Sandwich, Kent. It then went to owners in Aberdeen, Abergele and Guernsey. Its last recorded owner, Mountfield Services Ltd, of Guernsey, bought the vessel in 2000 and it was put up for sale in the following year. I do not have any information on its present owner, but apparently it is somewhere in Nigeria.
If you “click” on the picture, you will be taken to a full version of the picture. If you are using Internet Explorer you can then “right click” and one of the options is to “save picture as” which will save a copy on your computer for your personal use.
NOTE: Jack Willis owns the copyright to these pictures and they must not be republished without his permission.
Hi Jack
I like the photos you have posted of the Yantlet. Is there any chance you could mail me copies of these? Do you have a connection with this ship? I have a scale model of it which came from its original builder’s yard on the Clyde. I would love to hear from anyone who crewed on her while with the PLA. Sadly she now lies somewhere up a creek in the Delta region of Nigeria – never to be seen again.
Regards
Richard Caldow
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