Southerner (marine vessel)
Encyclopedia
Southerner was a marine outside broadcast unit operated by Southern Television
in the United Kingdom
from the mid-1960s.
MTB 506 (which was named Winola at that time) as a platform to provide coverage of Cowes Week
, a famous maritime event held off the coast of the Isle of Wight
. The initial installation was rather makeshift but, realising its potential, Southern decided to acquire the vessel for further development. The boat was thoroughly overhauled to house a complete and unique outside broadcast facility and, following this work, was renamed Southerner.
during the Second World War. The Winola had been upgraded with gas turbine
engines by the Marine Turbo Craft company, who had owned the craft before it was bought by Southern Television. In adapting the Southerner, forward bulkhead
s were removed to accommodate a 350 kg video recorder
and other equipment, all of which could be installed and removed by crane for relatively easy turnaround. Two 4.5 in image orthicon
cameras
were installed at each side of the front deck while a third was mounted on top of the cabin for an all-round view. The cabin also housed the production control room.
The craft was over 70 ft long and displaced over 50 tons but was nonetheless quite fast with a top speed of over 40 knots.
(Southern Television's reception area) provided many opportunities to use the craft, which was used to cover Cowes Week and the Fastnet race
as well as one-off boating and water skiing
events. Additionally, Southerner was notably used to produce the sea-themed children's drama, Freewheelers
, and A Tale of Two Rivers, a musical programme recorded on the rivers Seine
and Thames to contrast the cities of Paris
and London
. Sometimes, the vessel was even used to provide a live feed to the entire ITV
network. One such occasion was June 4, 1968 when Sir Alec Rose
arrived at Portsmouth
following his single-handed voyage around the world. The event was due to be covered by the London
ITV contractor, Rediffusion but they pulled out when one of their engineers was fatally injured during preparation.
up until the summer of 2005, after which it fell into disuse. In 2007 it was deemed uneconomic to refurbish and was broken up.
Southern Television
Southern Television was the first ITV broadcasting licence holder for the south and south-east of England from 30 August 1958 until the night of 31 December 1981. The company was launched as Southern Television Limited and the title Southern Television was consistently used on-air throughout its life...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from the mid-1960s.
Origins
In the early 1960s, Southern Television hired the former Proud Grenadier Motor Torpedo BoatMotor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
MTB 506 (which was named Winola at that time) as a platform to provide coverage of Cowes Week
Cowes Week
Cowes Week is one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world. With 40 daily races, up to 1,000 boats, and 8,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors, it is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world...
, a famous maritime event held off the coast of the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. The initial installation was rather makeshift but, realising its potential, Southern decided to acquire the vessel for further development. The boat was thoroughly overhauled to house a complete and unique outside broadcast facility and, following this work, was renamed Southerner.
Configuration
The Proud class was assigned to refurbished Motor Torpedo Boat vessels originally manufactured by the British Power Boat CompanyBritish Power Boat Company
The British Power Boat Company was a British manufacturer of motor boats, particularly racing boats and later military patrol boats.It was formed on 30 September 1927 when Hubert Scott-Paine bought and renamed the Hythe Shipyard with the intention of transforming it into one of the most modern mass...
during the Second World War. The Winola had been upgraded with gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
engines by the Marine Turbo Craft company, who had owned the craft before it was bought by Southern Television. In adapting the Southerner, forward bulkhead
Bulkhead
Bulkhead may refer to:* Bulkhead, a compartment of a building for preventing spread of fires, see Compartmentalization * Bulkhead , a retaining wall used as a form of coastal management, akin to a seawall, or as a structural device such as a bulkhead partition* Bulkhead , a wall within the hull of...
s were removed to accommodate a 350 kg video recorder
Video recorder
A video recorder may be any of several related devices:*Digital video recorder ; Personal video recorder *DVD recorder*Videocassette recorder *Video tape recorder...
and other equipment, all of which could be installed and removed by crane for relatively easy turnaround. Two 4.5 in image orthicon
Video camera tube
In older video cameras, before the mid to late 1980s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal. Several types were in use from the 1930s to the 1980s...
cameras
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
were installed at each side of the front deck while a third was mounted on top of the cabin for an all-round view. The cabin also housed the production control room.
The craft was over 70 ft long and displaced over 50 tons but was nonetheless quite fast with a top speed of over 40 knots.
Productions
Southerner had the ability to transmit live pictures back to shore and also to record video for subsequent editing. The maritime tradition of the South coast of EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Southern Television's reception area) provided many opportunities to use the craft, which was used to cover Cowes Week and the Fastnet race
Fastnet race
The Fastnet Race is a famous offshore yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races. It takes place every two years over a course of . The race starts off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England, rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and then finishes at...
as well as one-off boating and water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
events. Additionally, Southerner was notably used to produce the sea-themed children's drama, Freewheelers
Freewheelers
Freewheelers is a British television series made by Southern Television between 1968 and 1973. It was the brainchild of television producer Chris McMaster, who was aware of the popularity of adult action series such as The Avengers and Department S amongst teenagers and saw the potential of a...
, and A Tale of Two Rivers, a musical programme recorded on the rivers Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
and Thames to contrast the cities of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Sometimes, the vessel was even used to provide a live feed to the entire ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network. One such occasion was June 4, 1968 when Sir Alec Rose
Alec Rose
Sir Alec Rose was a nursery owner and fruit merchant in England who had a passion for amateur single-handed sailing, for which he was ultimately knighted....
arrived at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
following his single-handed voyage around the world. The event was due to be covered by the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
ITV contractor, Rediffusion but they pulled out when one of their engineers was fatally injured during preparation.
Later use
The vessel, or at least a substantial part of the hull, was known to be operating as the pleasure boat Ambra in MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
up until the summer of 2005, after which it fell into disuse. In 2007 it was deemed uneconomic to refurbish and was broken up.
External links
- British Military Powerboat Trust - discussion of the Motor Torpedo Boat class and photos, including one of the former Southerner now known as "Ambra"
- Historical Television Website - Contains a small picture of Southerner in its outside broadcast configuration