Forceful (tugboat)
| ex-HMAS Forceful docked at the Queensland Maritime Museum in 2008 Forceful docked at the Queensland Maritime Museum in 2008 | |
| Career (Australia) | Brisbane |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd, Govan, Scotland |
| Launched: | 20 November 1925 |
| Commissioned: | 16 February 1942 |
| Decommissioned: | 11 October 1943 |
| In service: | 7 March 1926 |
| Out of service: | 28 September 1970 |
| Status: | Museum ship at the Queensland Maritime Museum since 10 June 1971 |
| Notes: | Currently awaiting refit in order to return to sevice |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 288 gross tons |
| Length: | 36.88 metres (121.0 ft) |
| Beam: | 8.26 metres (27.1 ft) |
| Draught: | 4.08 metres (13.4 ft) |
| Propulsion: | One triple expansion steam engine with three cylinders and two single ended boilers each with 2 furnaces producing an indicated 1050 HP |
| Speed: | 13 knots (24 km/h) |
| Armament: | One Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, one Vickers machine gun (RAN service only) |
Forceful was an ocean-going tugboat built for the Queensland Tug Company. Forceful was built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Ltd in Govan, Scotland. She arrived at her homeport of Brisbane, Queensland on 7 March 1926. While she spent most of her career operating along the coast of Queensland, she was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy during most of 1942 and 1943 as HMAS Forceful.
During her war service she was based at Darwin and operated mainly in northern Australian waters.
Forceful was retired from service in September 1970 and was handed over to the Queensland Maritime Museum in Brisbane on 10 June 1971. She has been maintained in operating condition and made frequent trips along the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay until 2006 when a hull survey put a halt to her career.She now needs an extensive hull repair to continue to sail, and has been confined to her berth until the repairs can be made. Lack of funding is an issue at this time as the repairs are expected to cost into the hundreds of thousands. There is also the possibility of Forceful being scrapped if the funds cannot be raised for her preservation. Measures are being made by the Queensland Maritime Museum and a group of Forceful's crewmembers called "Friends of Forceful" to secure the vessels future. Despite this, funding is hard to come by and Forceful ever steaming again will more than likely be many years away if at all.
References
- "Forceful". Queensland Maritime Museum website. Queensland Maritime Museum. http://www.maritimemuseum.com.au/Collections/forceful.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- "SS Forceful". Historic Naval Ships Association website. Historic Naval Ships Association. http://hnsa.org/ships/forceful.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
