Category: Boats & Launches

The gig was traditionally reserved as the captain’s or commanders’ boat and often referred to as the Captain’s Galley [1].

[1] Weatherall, D.J., Naval Gigs,: Past and Present, Occasional Paper 90 vol 33, 2019.

Captain’s galley: any colour except green and blue, at Captain’s discretion. […] The power and pulling boats of individual ships other than Flag officers’ barges and Captain’s galleys, should be uniform in appearance, although it is not compulsory for both categories to be alike.

State Library of Western Australia image number b2943881_004
HMS Hood, Fremantle, 27 February 1924. Image of the gig (click image to go to SLWA website for better quality).

There are two types of this launch, a  standard version and this lighter version. The information sheet for the drawings below state:

“This design was developed in 1935 to replace the existing 45ft Motor Launch,; the new design to be a lighter craft to be carried in reconstructed capital ships and to be within the lifting capacity of the aircraft cranes.”

John Roberts states that “42ft motor launch was similar but had only a single rubber, like the 42ft sailing launch from which it was derived. The rubber or rubbing strake is the line at the outside of the hull running the entire length, either a timber of rope. I use Robert’s information to classify all large launches as either 42 or 45 ft.

Survivors of the tanker Bianca or San Casimiro German prize crews hoisted aboard HMS Renown, 8th of March 1941.

WITH THE ROYAL NAVAL SUBMARINERS AT HMS FORTH, THE SUBMARINE DEPOT SHIP. 2 TO 6 MARCH 1942, HMS FORTH, AND ON BOARD SOME OF HER SUBMARINES. © IWM (A 7776)

This page was added to show what the RAF rescue laucnh / seaplane tender looks like. It tends to show up a lot…

ROYAL AIR FORCE 1939-1945: COASTAL COMMAND © IWM (CH 11075)

There’s an interesting volume by Caste Hill Press called Boats for the RAF, focusing on the work of T.H. Lawrence (yes, that one) helping developing the RAF high speed launch. A most enticing volume, and I would recommend it to myself were it not for the wrong service.

Note: type III designation is my own

Source: https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-collections/ships/ships-boats/

Source: https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-collections/photographs/courage-of-the-everyday

Source: https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-collections/photographs/courage-of-the-everyday/