FRISKY
Shipbuildervessel built by
John Lewis & Sons
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1907 - 1976)
Date11 May 1918
Object NameTUG
MediumSTEEL
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 155 3/12' x breadth 31 1/12' x depth 17 1/12'
gross tonnage: 653 ton
gross tonnage: 653 ton
Object numberABDSHIP000016
Keywords
Yard Number: 67
Subsequent Names: GUSTAVO IPLAND; FOUNDATION FRANKLIN (1930-1950)
Fate: Unknown, Last mentioned in Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1949-50.
Propulsion: Steam
Description: Tug, fitted with salvage pumps, towing winch, wireless, steam steering gear, gun, steam windlass and capstan. Construction: Riveted
Owners:
1918: The Admiralty
Date unknown: Sold to German owners.
1930: Foundation Maritime.
General History:
02/07/1918: Builder's certificate issued.
23/08/1918: First trial, sea smooth, westerly, average speed 12 knots.
28/08/1918: Second trial, speed with wind and tide 12.96 knots against, 12 knots.
29/08/1918: Completed.
FRISKY was built for the Royal Navy as a 1200HP tug moving redundant capital ships. HMS FRISKY had two funnels and two masts. FRISKY was sold early on in her career to Germany and renamed GUSTAVO IPLAND and was laid up in Hamburg for a considerable time before being purchased in 1930 by Foundation Maritime and renamed FOUNDATION FRANKLIN. Owners in 1930 were J. W. Sutherland.
By 1937 she is described as a salvage vessel and is owned by Foundation Maritime, Ltd and is registered in Halifax, N.S.
In 1942 she salvaged the trooper WAKEFIELD ex US liner MANHATTAN (24,289GRT) ablaze in the North Atlantic which she saved on her own for 5 days. 4 USN diesel tugs were deployed to assist but couldn't cope with the conditions of another mission. She was towing the recalcitrant stern half of LIBERTY ship and found they were heading into the middle of a 100 ship convoy blocking their path to St. John's.
In early 1945 when embayed overnight she found herself unnoticed sharing an ice lagoon with German U-boat recharging its batteries.
FRISKY had a big refit with the bridge being removed, a deck house installed and the wheelhouse placed on top of the deckhouse, the foremast was shifted further forward and a derrick attached to the mast and bow chock added. A derrick was fitted to the aftermast and the coal burning engine was replaced in 1948 with a diesel unit.
FRISKY was scrapped in 1950, location unknown.
(Source: Sea Breezes Magazine, September 2014)
Engine refit not noted in Lloyd's Register.
"The Frisky trio were sold abroad, the FRISKY herself becoming the 'FOUNDATION FRANKLIN' which has been made immortal in the book "Grey Seas Under" by Farley Mowat, the story of her achievement in deep sea salvage and towage".
(P. N. Thomas (1983), "British Steam Tugs", p. 132)
Notes: Engine number 138, boilers 89 & 90.
Triple expansion engines by John Lewis. 3 cylinders of 18 1/2", 28 1/2" and 48 1/4 diameters - 28" stroke: 138NHP
See also: Photographs of HMS Frisky exist in the archives of Svitzer Canada.
