Honey (Trip Boat)
Background
The Rudyard Lake League Of Friends purchased the trip boat ‘Honey’ in 2004. She was a diesel-powered captain’s cutter launch from 1942 which had been lovingly restored by her previous owner.
The trip boat had a fully trained volunteer crew and carried up to 12 passengers, typically only operating in the warmer months. The trip boat raised some £5k per year for the benefit of Lake visitors, with the proceeds of this being put back into numerous improvements.
Honey ‘served’ at the lake up until 2019 when unfortunately it was discovered that both wet and dry rot had developed on the hull.
Trip boats at Rudyard are a 150-year-old tradition and with no trip boat, the Rudyard Lake Trust and League of friends began crowdfunding for a new trip boat, which thanks to everyone’s generous donations, arrived at the lake in 2021!
Honey has a history which mustn’t be forgotten, and plans are currently in place to keep this history (and boat) alive.
“Honey has a history which mustn’t be forgotten, and plans are currently in place to keep this history (and boat) alive…”
History
The boat was the Captain’s launch on HMS Obdurate from 1942 to 1966, seeing action in the North Atlantic Convoys and then in the Arctic Convoys.
HMS Obdurate was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that was built by William Denny and Brothers of Dunbarton, laid down on their yards on the River Clyde in 1940, launched in February of 1942 and commissioned in September of that year.
“On a field Blue, a mule statant white…”
Service
During World War 2, Obdurate escorted Arctic Convoys from 1942-44 and Atlantic convoys 1943, taking part in the Battle of the Barents Sea in 1942.
In December 1942, while on escort for convoy JW 51B, she was attacked and damaged by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper.
On 25th January 1944, she was torpedoed and damaged by a German U-boat: U-360, using a GNAT acoustic torpedo, southeast of Bear Island.
At the end of the war, she escorted the cruiser Norfolk whilst the latter took King Haakon VII back to Norway.
Post-War
At the end of the war she completed some post-war work on German waters and in July of 1945, US president Harry Truman transferred to Obdurate from the cruiser USS Philadelphia in the English channel. Perhaps he took a trip on Honey?
HMS Obdurate was then used for torpedo training at Portsmouth. In 1948 she was placed into reserve before a refit on the Tyne in 1949. She was later held at Chatham dockyard between 1950-1952 and then between 1952 and 1956 she was part of the Nore local squadron. In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
From 1957-59 she was again held in reserve at Portsmouth and then used in tests by the NCRE. Finally, in 1964 she was sold for scrap and arrived in Inverkeithing in November of that year for breaking.
Honey Lives On?
It is the League of Friends intention to keep Honey’s memory alive. Aside from the incredible naval history for 15 years she brought so much enjoyment to people; from school parties, birthday parties, children and adults with learning difficulties, wedding groups, private groups, to say nothing of all the tourists visiting the lake.
It is our intention to apply for funding towards retiring her to a cradle berth alongside Rudyard Lake so that our visitors may once again board the boat and experience this interesting bit of history.
Watch this space!
