HMS Gleaner (H86)
Encyclopedia
HMSML Gleaner (H86) is the smallest commissioned vessel in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 with a length of just under 15 meters and a ship's company of just 8 (2 officers and 6 ratings). Commanded by Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...

 John Winn, she is currently based in Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...

, Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

. The ship prefix "HMSML" stands for Her Majesty's Survey Motor Launch.

She is the sixth ship to bear the name Gleaner and was commissioned on 5 December 1983. With a top speed of 14 knots, Gleaner was designed to conduct inshore surveys along the south coast of England, though she has since surveyed all around the coastline of Great Britain and visited various ports in Europe.

As an advanced survey vessel, Gleanor possesses an array of sophisicated technology, including multibeam and sidescan SONAR
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...

 to collect bathymetry and seabed texture data and compile an accurate and detailed picture of the seabed for later analysis. Her survey equipment also includes a TSS POSMv positioning system, C-NAV GPS, Kongsberg EM3002 Multibeam Echo Sounder and Kongsberg EA400 Singlebeam Echo Sounder.

Gleaner also has the unique distinction of being the only Royal Navy ship to have visited landlocked Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, having travelled up the Rhine to Basle in 1988.

She was also in attendance at the 2010 Portsmouth Navy Days.

External links

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