Ex Liverpool Bar Planet Lightship saga

[Lucy Knight]

There is an article about Liverpool Bar Planet lightship in the current Private Eye dated from 16 June. That is the new issue in shops today 15th.

It is on P37 and takes up about one third of page. Headline is

Canal & River Trust
Planet Dearth

Talks about how C and R T SD Planet for 12.500k.

Last paragraph states real owner is planning legal action with solicitor with help of no win no fee basis.

For those not familiar with the ex Liverpool Bar Planet Lightship saga the label below is for thread on Thunderboats site started just after Planet was towed from Liverpool docks to Sharpness. It consists of 62 pages now.
Around page 52 is when C and RT
sold Planet for 12.5k.



http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=62

[freddythefrog]

Hyer Lucy
Great news at last!
Hope C and RT get bad publicity for what they have done regarding Planet
lightship and stitching up the real owner Alan Roberts.
Is it possible to scan the newspiece and post it on here for all to read??
Hope so!
Keep up good work Lucy
Cheers 73's de john FTF

[Lucy Knight]

Here is copy of article in current Private eye

It will be worth looking for articles in future editions as I believe far more information was passed to magazine.

No.1446 16-29 June 2017
Page 37. 'Canal and River Trust' 'Planet dearth'

Liverpool's historic Planet lightship has been sold off to an unnamed buyer for less than half what the Canal and River Trust (CRT) spent on towing it away from Canning Dock (see Eye 1434) - while the charity's right to sell the vessel at all remains hotly disputed.

Correspondence seen by the Eye reveals that the CRT sold Planet for £12,500, significantly less than the estimated £70,000 scrap price given in a formal valuation last year, let alone its value as the last manned lightship to have worked in UK waters and a long-standing feature of the Liverpool waterfront.


The trust blamed Planet's owner Alan Roberts (pictured) for the price, saying his efforts to gain publicity over the removal of his boat had "the effect if putting off potential purchasers". It is still trying to bill Mr Roberts a further £43,000 for the cost of moving Planet to Sharpness, plus storage and legal costs related to the sale.

Mr Roberts had been running a cafe on the boat, as well as hosting a small volunteer-run maritime radio museum. In April 2016 the CRT sent him a "boat removal notice" over £3,500 in berthing fees owed to the trust, which manages Canning Dock, a tourist hotspot between the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Museum of Liverpool. "We would be disappointed if the Light Ship were to leave [Liverpool] given its historic links to the area, wrote CRT manager Chantelle Seaborn in the letter.

The CRT's subsequent actions did not bear this out. Although the berthing fee issue was being resolved in the county court (the bill has since been paid), the trust claimed it had the right to remove and sell Planet under the terms of its berthing agreement, and that it could pass on all the costs of this to Mr Roberts. Last September it seized Planet and towed it to distant Sharpness, near Gloucester.

The tug boat alone cost £14,000, with extra costs for the likes of insurance and passage planning to take Planet out to sea. This also meant Mr Roberts now faced double that vast cost in order to reclaim his vessel and have it towed back.

Having racked up silly costs over the row and then sold Planet for a pittance, the CRT is now likely to be out of pocket. Seaborn said in a statement last month that the buyer would do some restoration work and then offer Planet for resale. "Hopefully a business, group or individual in Liverpool is able to step forward and purchase the renovated lightship and bring her back to Liverpool under new management," she said. Thanks to the CRT, though, there's no guarantee of Planet returning to the city.

Mr Roberts says he believes the CRT intended from the outset to deprive him permanently of his ship and is planning legal action with the help of no-win-no-fee lawyers.

[freddythefrog]

Hyer Lucy
Thanks for posting the info regarding Planet lightship from private Eye Magazine-good stuff!
Glad to hear Alan Roberts the vessels true owner has managed to get a Solicitor on a no win no fee basis, truly hope the C and RT now get their just deserts and that Planet may come back to Liverpool.
cheers 73's de FTF

[Lucy Knight]

I believe from the internet that the lady Northwest manager used to have high powered job with Liverpool City Council. Worked in housing Dept and housing association associated with Liverpool Council I believe.

I did read that the old German U boat submarine for tourists to view in Birkenhead is regarded as a link to the wartime Atlantic convoys So maybe that cut up vessel in the vicinity of the Mersey is enough links to the MN for that area.

[Lucy Knight]

For those interested in Liverpool heritage, the following label re UNESCO/Liverpool maybe of interest

tp://mailchi.mp/savebritainsheritage/unesco-rebukes-uk-government-over-liverpool-world-heritage-site-and-issues-final-warning

[Lucy Knight]

I see the Thunderboats site tread Planet Lightship impounded has now reached 68 pages. New info from page 63.

It appears there has been some interesting "cage rattling".

There is new info on last few pages of label below

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=68

[Lucy Knight]

Planet Lightship info.

A few days ago the Thunderboats site Planet Lightship Impounded thread sprung to life again. The thread been quiet after top two posts on p69 for a time. Now the truth has emerged regarding new owner who is talking and posts carry onto p70.

Turns ou tbe new owner owns the dock where she is berthed.

Labels for page 69 and 70 below.

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=69

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=70

[Lucy Knight]

If you click on label below and read end page 70 and 071, you will see link on one of the posts. This will take you to press release informing that the C and RT manager for Northwest who evicted Planet has left. Also another who was involved who worked at the Milton Keyes base has left too. The Northwest manager who has left has apparently been a director of Liverpool Waterfront business Partnership CIC for just over 6 months.

Planet is still in Sharpness docks. Her fate decided by the end of this month.

BAR Lightship impounded by CRT yesterday | Thunderboatý

[Lucy Knight]

This has been copied from Liverpool radio group site. The radio group operated onboard Planet Lightship in Canning Dock. Pisted with Stan Macnally's permission.


Stan's message

To Whom it May Concern

I have been connected with the Planet Lightship for a very long time.

I serviced her Radio Beacon in my working days for Marconi through the sixties and seventies.
right up to her removal to join Trinity House.

When the Mersey Light vessel preservation Society was formed I was put forward and accepted as the Chairman of that society, a charity which strived to raise the funds to buy the vessel
Luckily for us , as far as I am concerned, we did not win . I for one would have been dead through stress with all the problems the new owners have been presented with.

Luckily for us, two others stepped forward and took on the challenge .

Gary McClarnan was the first to take the helm.

After carrying out changes and repairs to the vessel he finally sailed it into the Albert Dock, I was there, it was the greatest day of my life. He put his all into the task and managed to keep going for two years –.
The powers in charge wanted to know what a Lightship was doing in the Albert Dock, Little did they know it and its sisters had been the gateway to the Port of Liverpool.

He gave up and put it up for sale.

When it went up for sale we were so worried that it would end up in some distant port.

We even wrote a letter to the Town hall, and you would not believe the trouble we had to hand it in,
Thankfully the guys on the door where ex seafarers and passed it through.
But nothing happened

Luckily for us a new guy took up the challenge because he was a Liverpudlian and he passionately wanted it to stay in Liverpool. This was Alan Roberts, a Steel preservation specialist, Property owner plus a taxi Business.
Gary could have received more for the Planet but believed Alan was the best choice. He was a Liverpudlian to the core and believed in the symbol of the Lightship.
He was supposed to have a partner but they disappeared soon after he took over. Alan and his family battled through on their own.

Alan has survived for eight years, gone has his property business and his Taxi outfit, the stress has broken his marriage, he now has his house up for sale. What more can a man do to try and keep our Lightship. It costs him nearly five thousand a year to keep the ship in the dock, for this he got Nothing, No Water, No Electricity, No Sewerage or Garbage disposal. All has to be paid by himself.

It is shown on publicity for the Port of Liverpool and was in the original plans for the Albert Dock and it was the gate way to the Port.
All this has not taken into consideration. He never received any help.

He has fallen behind with the berthing dues, for which they wanted nearly ten thousand pounds.
He has tried to the best of his ability but the stress and the ability to raise funds had gone, the strain has wrecked his health.

I went to a Sunday Sea Service recently, luckily for us Cannon Bob Evans was there and he told us about the new seafarers , there are so few of them on board that they have their meals on their own. The majority are from the Philippines, but other nationalities from the Third and Fourth world are there. They are very lonely.

They don’t have the facilities we had with crews of 35 on a five thousand ton tramp and the like. eating together in the saloon or mess room and the camaraderie we had
We sometimes did long trips, normal 18 months or two year articles but we saw the world and the team worked together. If the Cabin Boy was missing it wasn’t the same.
Our predecessors saved us twice during two world wars.

We would like to remember these things before we pop off this planet and leave some history of what it was like. The Planet Lightship was to be that link to future generations to remember the “British Merchant Navy”

Do we throw in the towel now and forget and be dynasours of the past and loose that vital link to a service that built this City and the United Kingdom.

Please have a good think!

Stan McNally
Planeteer President

P.S. And the last owner “Alan Roberts “ if he is not to carry on, be given the Cities extreme thanks and a golden hand shake for all his hard work. Not many people would single handedly strive to save such a symbol of our past.

------------------------------------------

[Lucy Knight]

Planet Lightship update.

Interesting progress on end page 72 to stave off the intention of sale decision by shipyard 23 Dec.

Too much text for one post so will follow up with 2nd post



Today's posts posts on below
http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=72

Here are the posts


There's some good news on "Planet" to bring a bit of Christmas cheer for Alan..

Roberts, and everyone who has given their support since this disgraceful episode began just over 15 months ago, on the morning of the 19th of September 2016.

The mug man chosen and appointed by C&RT back in the Summer to play the part of of the 'new owner' of "Planet", Steve Beacham of Sharpness Shipyard, has been in negotiations with several parties over the last few weeks with a view to finalizing a sale by yesterday, the 23rd of December. One of these parties had previously expressed an interest in buying the ship when it was first advertised at £100,000 in the early part of this year by C&RT's pet boat snatchers, Criminal Commercial Boat Services, on the Boat and Outboards internet brokerage website, but withdrew after obtaining legal advice, including Counsel's opinion, which confirmed that ownership of and title to the ship had at all times remained with Alan Roberts, primarily as a consequence of the unwarranted, unauthorized and illegally executed seizure, the unlawful removal from Liverpool and the Mersey, and the subsequent unlawful detention in Sharpness.

We know for certain that this same advice has recently been passed on to Beacham in a lengthy exchange of e-mails with the same interested party, in which it was explained to him that the signed and sealed Bill of Sale that C&RT have provided him with isn't worth the paper it's written on because the chain of legitimate transfer of title (to the ship) ends with the Bill of Sale that Alan Roberts acquired with the ship when he bought it in 2009. Despite having been made aware of the fact that he was in the process of selling someone else's property, Beacham elected to proceed with finalizing the sale by 23 December, reliant entirely on the worthless and fraudulent BoS supplied to him by C&RT's own shithouse 'in house' lawyers as the sole means of passing on good title to the next buyer.

Consequent to the above, I sent the following e-mail to Beacham a week ago yesterday : -

[Lucy Knight]

FAO. Steve Beacham, Sharpness Shipyard & Drydock Ltd.

Dear Sir,

It has come to the notice of the rightful owner of the above named vessel, Mr Alan Roberts of Liverpool, that you are in negotiations with a number of parties with a view to selling his ship to them. Mr Roberts is also aware that one of these interested parties has made numerous attempts to alert you to the fact that 'Planet' is not yours to sell, and that the Bill of Sale with which you have been furnished by Canal & River Trust is a fraudulent and worthless document.

The party who has attempted to alert you to the illegality of what you are doing is of the opinion that you may well have become innocently involved in the conspiracy put into operation in Liverpool on the morning of 19 September 2016 with the intention permanently to deprive Mr Roberts of his ship. It has been noted, however, that thus far in your talks and negotiations with potential buyers you have failed to mention or produce any documentation establishing a bona fide and uninterrupted record of documentation transferring ownership and title from Mr Roberts to the sellers named on your fraudulent and worthless Bill of Sale. For this and other reasons, Mr Roberts and I are inclined to take quite the opposite view, and we believe that you are and have been a willing participant in this criminal conspiracy from the day of inception.

The time has come, Mr Beacham, for you to make a decision. Either you continue to stand by your co-conspirators in this matter, or you belatedly recognize the fact that they have set you up for a fall, and join with Mr Roberts in assisting him in the recovery his ship. Should you wish to make direct contact with Mr Roberts or his lawyers, you may do so by first contacting me via e-mail at any time during the very short period remaining to you to extract yourself from the invidious position in which you have been placed by the Canal & River Trust.

Yours faithfully,

A.K.Dunkley (Shipowner's Representative)

__________________________________________________


There was no response to the above e-mail, so yesterday morning I got to work on arrangements to seize and re-possess the ship during the Christmas/New Year break. As the only way to get access to "Planet" would be by water, I made arrangements over the phone for launching a RIB (with sufficiently little air-draught to pass under the Dock Road swingbridge at Sharpness without it having to be swung off) into the G & S canal close to Sharpness Dock. Having done that, I then phoned the port operators (Victoria Group) and told the Port Manager (Garry Strickland) what we intended to do, and why we were having to do it. The reaction to this, from all of the several different sources it came from, was in itself worthy of the telling, but I'll save that up for later. The gist of it was that we would not be given permission to enter the port, were strongly advised against so doing, and that Sharpness Shipyard would be advised of our intentions. I confirmed that we would not be taking their advice, by way of the following e-mail, copied to Beacham and Gloucestershire Police, and sent around mid-afternoon :-

FAO. Mr Garry Strickland.

Dear Mr Strickland,

Further to our telephone conversation of earlier today and to advise you of the intentions of the rightful owner of the above named ship, Mr Alan Roberts, I can confirm that Mr Roberts plans to re-possess his ship at sometime during the next few days. The repossession will be during daylight hours, at a time and date yet to be fixed.

The Gloucestershire Police will be asked to attend and will be re-acquainted and brought up to date with all aspects of the continuing unlawful detention of and attempts to sell the ship by Sharpness Shipyard and/or the Canal & River Trust.

As a consequence of access to the ship via the wharf gates in the northwest corner of the Dock being denied, boarding will be accomplished from a small boat with sufficiently low air-draft to enter the Dock from the canal without the need to swing Dock Road bridge.

For your information, I will forward a copy of an e-mail sent to Steve Beacham on Friday 15 Dec 2017 immediately following this transmission.

Best Regards,

A.K.Dunkley (Shipowner's Representative)

__________________________________________________ _____

. . . . . . and there, I thought, the matter would end until we arrived in Sharpness to board and repossess the ship.

Much to my amazement, however, at a few minutes past eight that night I got a quite remarkable e-mailed letter from a, apparently, much changed and now conciliatory Mr Beacham stating that the next day's sale of the ship would not be going ahead, and suggesting that we should suspend hostilities over Christmas and New Year pending a meeting with Alan Roberts and his representatives at which he hoped that mutually beneficial outcome for all concerned could be achieved.

[Lucy Knight]

Continuation of last email.


FAO. Steve Beacham, Sharpness Shipyard & Drydock Ltd.

Dear Sir,

It has come to the notice of the rightful owner of the above named vessel, Mr Alan Roberts of Liverpool, that you are in negotiations with a number of parties with a view to selling his ship to them. Mr Roberts is also aware that one of these interested parties has made numerous attempts to alert you to the fact that 'Planet' is not yours to sell, and that the Bill of Sale with which you have been furnished by Canal & River Trust is a fraudulent and worthless document.

The party who has attempted to alert you to the illegality of what you are doing is of the opinion that you may well have become innocently involved in the conspiracy put into operation in Liverpool on the morning of 19 September 2016 with the intention permanently to deprive Mr Roberts of his ship. It has been noted, however, that thus far in your talks and negotiations with potential buyers you have failed to mention or produce any documentation establishing a bona fide and uninterrupted record of documentation transferring ownership and title from Mr Roberts to the sellers named on your fraudulent and worthless Bill of Sale. For this and other reasons, Mr Roberts and I are inclined to take quite the opposite view, and we believe that you are and have been a willing participant in this criminal conspiracy from the day of inception.

The time has come, Mr Beacham, for you to make a decision. Either you continue to stand by your co-conspirators in this matter, or you belatedly recognize the fact that they have set you up for a fall, and join with Mr Roberts in assisting him in the recovery his ship. Should you wish to make direct contact with Mr Roberts or his lawyers, you may do so by first contacting me via e-mail at any time during the very short period remaining to you to extract yourself from the invidious position in which you have been placed by the Canal & River Trust.

Yours faithfully,

A.K.Dunkley (Shipowner's Representative)

__________________________________________________


There was no response to the above e-mail, so yesterday morning I got to work on arrangements to seize and re-possess the ship during the Christmas/New Year break. As the only way to get access to "Planet" would be by water, I made arrangements over the phone for launching a RIB (with sufficiently little air-draught to pass under the Dock Road swingbridge at Sharpness without it having to be swung off) into the G & S canal close to Sharpness Dock. Having done that, I then phoned the port operators (Victoria Group) and told the Port Manager (Garry Strickland) what we intended to do, and why we were having to do it. The reaction to this, from all of the several different sources it came from, was in itself worthy of the telling, but I'll save that up for later. The gist of it was that we would not be given permission to enter the port, were strongly advised against so doing, and that Sharpness Shipyard would be advised of our intentions. I confirmed that we would not be taking their advice, by way of the following e-mail, copied to Beacham and Gloucestershire Police, and sent around mid-afternoon :-

FAO. Mr Garry Strickland.

Dear Mr Strickland,

Further to our telephone conversation of earlier today and to advise you of the intentions of the rightful owner of the above named ship, Mr Alan Roberts, I can confirm that Mr Roberts plans to re-possess his ship at sometime during the next few days. The repossession will be during daylight hours, at a time and date yet to be fixed.

The Gloucestershire Police will be asked to attend and will be re-acquainted and brought up to date with all aspects of the continuing unlawful detention of and attempts to sell the ship by Sharpness Shipyard and/or the Canal & River Trust.

As a consequence of access to the ship via the wharf gates in the northwest corner of the Dock being denied, boarding will be accomplished from a small boat with sufficiently low air-draft to enter the Dock from the canal without the need to swing Dock Road bridge.

For your information, I will forward a copy of an e-mail sent to Steve Beacham on Friday 15 Dec 2017 immediately following this transmission.

Best Regards,

A.K.Dunkley (Shipowner's Representative)

__________________________________________________ _____

. . . . . . and there, I thought, the matter would end until we arrived in Sharpness to board and repossess the ship.

Much to my amazement, however, at a few minutes past eight that night I got a quite remarkable e-mailed letter from a, apparently, much changed and now conciliatory Mr Beacham stating that the next day's sale of the ship would not be going ahead, and suggesting that we should suspend hostilities over Christmas and New Year pending a meeting with Alan Roberts and his representatives at which he hoped that mutually beneficial outcome for all concerned could be achieved.

[Lucy Knight]

There are further posts on Thunderboats site Planet lightship impounded thread posted today 25th Dec re Planet Saga end page 72 and beginning page 73.

There is a suggestion in a post top of page 73 that people write to Sharpness shipyard owner (his email address the blog states is apparently easily found by googling) who Planet was sold to by C and RT. If it was constructive suggestions and stressing the importance of ex Liverpool Bar lightship Planet to Liverpool phrased in a polite constructive way it might not harm.

End page 72 posts

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=72

__________________
What a story Tony, would there finally be a possible 'happy" outcome to this ever so terribly smelly story ?
_________________

What you wrote sounds hopefull, but I won't scream of happiness until it's really over, and that Alan Roberts has recuperated his "Planet".

I've had several seemingly hopefull happy endings of some nasty things that happened, but even with all the promisses that were made, it never ended happy.

I hope that in this case it's going to be successful, that would be a great start of the new year, but if it happens, where will he find a mooring for "Planet"?

Hoping for the best,

Peter.
chewy Avatar
chewy
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11 hours ago
Quote
Assuming I have kept up to date on this, there is still have the problem of CRT's claimed costs to settle. Had these been paid he would have got the boat back a long time ago. So even if they were to agree he still owns the boat, I can't see them releasing it until this is paid or a court orders them to. Still hope it does go well for him.
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lollygagger
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11 hours ago
naughtyfox likes this Quote
chewy said:
Assuming I have kept up to date on this, there is still have the problem of CRT's claimed costs to settle. Had these been paid he would have got the boat back a long time ago. So even if they were to agree he still owns the boat, I can't see them releasing it until this is paid or a court orders them to. Still hope it does go well for him.

But CRTs costs were self inflicted.
My cynical mind thinks they merely couldn't be arsed to deal with it over Christmas or CRTs legal lot already broke for Christmas and the reply is simple stalling until the original position resumes in the new year.
Telemachus Avatar
Telemachus
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11 hours ago
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Yes I would be worried that it’s just a deception to avoid hassle over Christmas. Come the new year he’ll probably back-pedal.
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loddon
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8 hours ago
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Telemachus said:
Yes I would be worried that it’s just a deception to avoid hassle over Christmas. Come the new year he’ll probably back-pedal.
_________
My thoughts as well, he is up to something, I wouldn't take it at face value.
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Graham
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TonyDunkley Is the email verifiable to being from Mr Beacham, do you have previous emails from that address that you know with certainty came from Beacham and you mention a letter is it sign fully? If so the courts would take it as a letter of promise to enter into negotiations with Mr Roberts after Christmas. I would be asking him for a date of such meeting and where.

And page 73 posts

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=73
____________^
I found Steve Beacham's e-mail address easily. Anyone here can do the same and write to him expressing their opinion of him, and suggesting ways of him 'doing the right thing'.
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naughtyfox
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7 hours ago
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The Russian Mafia wouldn't stand for this old tripe. Anyone friendly with a rich oligarch?

[Lucy Knight]

Planet lightship write up Oct 2017 in narrowboat world gives quiteca good synopsis.
.

http://narrowboatworld.com/10279-investment-or-what


narrowboatworld

Published: Thursday, 19 October 2017

IT IS NOW more than a year since the Liverpool Lightship Planet was seized by CaRT on the 19th September 2016, writes Pam Pickett.

Planet owned by Alan Roberts now lies in a shipyard approximately eight miles from R.W. Davies shipyard on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, that is also the current resting place of Geoff Mayers boat, Pearl.
lightshipThe snatch

Press coverage at the time of the snatch of Planet by the Trust appears to have referred to arrears of berthing fees amounting to £10,000. However, the arrears of berthing fees were in the reality just under £5,000. Those fees were being pursued through the County Court at the time of the seizure and were not the true reason for CaRT to snatch the vessel.

I am however led to understand those berthing fees were paid shortly after the vessel was taken and within the time limit stipulated in the court judgment. One has to wonder on whose word the £10,000 as widely reported was received by those journalists covering the story of the snatch? I rather doubt that the oft quoted ‘never let the truth get in the way of a good story’ applies here.
Sea worthiness

Regardless, prior to being towed to Sharpness, Planet was subjected to a survey by Braemar Technical Services, Marine Surveyors to ensure the seaworthiness of the vessel. The date of the instruction to Braemar Technical Services by CaRT was 28th July 2016. Interestingly, given this date, some two months before the snatch, you don’t have to be brain of Britain to assume that CaRT already had a coastal passage in mind.

For some reason however any mention of the value of Planet appears to have been omitted from the survey report, instead only the scrap value of £70,750 seems to have been stated. It was then in April/May this year that CaRT apparently claimed that due to ’ bad publicity’ enquiries were being received only from scrap merchants, hence the price of the sale. Handy then perhaps it was aware of the scrap value!
Failed to name the buyer

Moving on. Somewhat surprising I feel that costs incurred relating to the seizure of the vessel inclusive of those incurred by ‘High Court Bailiffs‘ that ultimately turned out to be no such thing. The cost of the survey and finally the 300 nautical miles tow to Sharpness had now clocked up some £43,000 in costs, yet was then sold for £12,500 to Steve Beacham, the owner of the shipyard to which the vessel was towed. ‘Bad publicity’ now together with ‘doubt as to title to Planet’ suggested by CaRT as being the reason for the eye-watering low price of the sale. CaRT however failed to name the buyer at this time.

I have to admit that when CaRT claimed to have sold the boat in April or May for just £12,500 I could not believe this to be true. However, listening to historian Peter Elson on the Roger Phillips phone-in on Radio Merseyside a couple of weeks ago, this information was indeed validated, Steve Beacham himself interviewed by Peter Elson it seems confirmed that he had in fact purchased Planet for the amount stated.
Loss of money

Some things it seems are stranger than fiction, given the loss of money here. Regardless of the high cost of breaking up a vessel like Planet, even scrap would give a rather nice return, but then not as much as selling Planet on, once tidied up as I understand is to happen, title permitting of course. Given the rates of interest offered to savers today I doubt any would turn up their nose at such a return!

Incidentally, at the end of the day Alan Roberts is yet another vulnerable boater, suffering from the painful autoimmune condition Polymialgia Rheumatica a symptom of which is clinical depression, with the primary treatment for this not only for some sufferers adding to that depression, I’m told, but also causing confusion.

[Lucy Knight]

More updates in last few hours on p74. Bar lightship impounded thread Thunderboats site.

It sounds as if Sharpness Shipyard are determined to sell Planet at all costs abd keeping the veasel well guarded.

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=74

On top of all this the owner, Alan Roberts, before the vessel was snatched has suffered severe health problems caused by the stress. Just after the actions of C and RT brought on a painful autoimmune inflamation condition which requires steroids etc daily. Also his bowel burst just after his vessel was seized. He had to be operated on for dangerous life threatening condition and ended up with a colostomy bag. In this coming January he is booked in to have his gut going into stona bag connected back up to his colon. An operation is just what he needs now the litigation is getting very intense and court case on his hands. All brought about because he was trying to save Luverpool's Historic Planet Lightship from being cut up. It is classed as part of Luverpool's heritage and mentioned in Liverpool's Unesco bid. The charity C and RT which evicted him have Prince Charles as their sole Patron.

All this came about because Alan Roberts, a Liverpudlian, the son of a Vindi (those that attended Merchant Navy training ship Vinducatrix, that was based Sharpness) and went on to be Merchant Navy Liverpool seaman (still living) . His son Alan wanted to save a piece of Liverpool's Maritime heritage. Alan.who worked for 30 years as ships steel specialist and welder UK, abroad and offshore wanted to save the famuliar historic ex Liverpool Bar lighship.

Perhaps an article in Union newspaper/Daily newspaper/Sunday supplement warning others off from private purchase of hustoric vessels and suffering tbe same fate might be appropriate.

Alan Roberts (Stan Macnally's pal) sold his Liverpool taxi fleet to finance this project. He let the public go onboard for FREE. Volunteers eg Stan the Man and other ex Merseyside area Radio officers gave their time for free, showing the public around abd exolaining tbe heritage. Alan lost his wife because of this appalling treatment, his seven bedroom house, nearly his life and is now at riskof bankruptcy.

The only gain Alan Robert's received was a permanent autoinmune health condition brought on by the stress and needing daily medication for his condition that in itself causes more health problems.

Contrast this to Ambrose ligjtship in Southside street NewYork.

Ambrose lightship is part of Maritime museum New Yorj and hefty entrance ticket cost for entrance package. No free viewings onboard viewibgs of lightship.

Articles on internet stateAmbros e
received 4.5 mullion dollars in grants. Ambrose was donated by USCG to maritime museum.

Rtrd Marconi radio Officer and Marconi shoreside Liverpool Marconi service eng has a site. His radio group are now on 1930s barge Frsncis Haywood in Liverpool docks.


http://www.mrmsw.co.uk/

If you read main page and then click on left side menu News label there is history of earlier goings on re the Planet saga

While you are on the site, there are some interesting sea storues under stories label left hand menu on main page. Stan in early fifties when on Monarch shipping line vessel British Monarch sailed with 2nd eng Victoria Drummond. An eventful trip. The 2nd mate fell overboard at end of his 12 to 4 am watch in sharks infested waters. After Brekkie they realised he was missing and retrieved him after 8 hours swimming time. Sadly they weren't so lucky when later in the same trip two cadets jumped in to save a couple of ladies in distress and one of them wasn't a good swinmer. Sran M went back to visit the gravestone abroad with his family a few years ago. Both stories on the site under stories label.

[Lucy Knight]

This is an interesting youtube of Planet from
in 2008.

Stan Macnally is giving a tour of Ex Liverpool Lightship Planet

Stan is ex Marconi R/O and later Marconi service engineer at Liverpool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ_cEmQQEAI&sns=em

[Lucy Knight]

There is an update on the saga on Thunderboats site today 13 May 2018 by Tony Dunkerly.

BAR Lightship impounded by CRT yesterday | Thunderboat

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=73

[Lucy Knight]

The 2008 Cityscape mural by Ben Johnson shows Planet in Canning Dock. It also shows Albert Dock and many buildings. The mural was was in the Walker Gallery and will be displayed on first floor of Liverpool museum which is located at the Pierhead in a couple of weeks time.

Postcards, posters and art prints can be bought from the museum shop and online.

Picture in label below

The Liverpool Cityscape — Ben Johnson

The Liverpool Cityscape — Ben Johnson

[Lucy Knight]

There has been quite a lot of activity on Thunderboats site re Planet Lightship ongoings.



See long last post on P 73. The information in different posts carries on through p74 and onto p75.

Label below takes you to p73

BAR Lightship impounded by CRT yesterday | Thunderboat

Label for p74

BAR Lightship impounded by CRT yesterday | Thunderboat

http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...terday?page=75

[Lucy Knight]

Has Planet been sold on?
There is reference to it about a third way down page 2 on thread about sinking Irish Sea Oliver Cromwell.



See label below page 2


http://thunderboat.boards.net/thread...paddle-steamer