HMS Jura- Offshore Patrol Vessel

Based on a commercial trawler design, HMS Jura originally built in Aberdeen for the Scottish Department of Fisheries. She was loaned to the Royal Navy's Offshore Squadron for oil rig support and fishery protection duties and fitted with 40mm Bofor guns and naval communication equipment at Rosyth. Based at HMS Lochinvar, Port Edgar.

Jura had a standard displacement of 778 tons and a full displacement of 1,285 tons. She measured 195ft in length, 35ft in breadth and 14ft in draught. Powered by 2 British Polar diesels she had a speed of 17 knots.

Jura's design later provided the basis for the seven Island Class Offshore Patrol Vessels and upon their arrival into service she was returned to her owners.

Mick Bolton recalls life on Jura: "We took delivery from DAFS of the Jura in Cochrane early in 75. We were immediately in awe of the luxurious interior especially the single cabins for the crew ! unheard of of course in the pusser. The seamen and stokers had to double up (usual rules waived of course as an when needs must) Crew consisted of Captain. Lt.Cdr. Frank Donald 1st Lt. Peter Meakins, 1 Nav Officer (name escapes me) and one Midshipmen Eamonn Maloney who doubled as Correspondence/Gunnery general dogsbody. Seaman Div. Coxn Mike Bastow. Leading Seaman Terry Going. AB Geoff Lote, Titch Matthews, Paul Silver Kim Beautridge Eric 'Erk' Findlater Electrical OE Mech 'Genghis' Mc Cann OEM Rob Anderson REM Mick Bolton MEMs Bill Handford, 'H' Hurrell. Bob Dewick, Caffs Caffrey Steward Robinson, Cook Sillence L/Ck 'Dirty' Dave Grainger. The wardroom was amidships and the crews lounge right aft. The ship had three diesel generators ! probably for ballast as much as anything as quoted on your site she was a bitch in anything other than a millpond. She differed slightly from the rest of the Islands class in that she had a mast on the focsle linked by triatic stay to the radar platform above the bridge ergo the 40 mmm bofors could only fire abeam ! the two GPMG's mounted outside the bridge wing doors never worked ! Bunks in the cabins were spacious, a double edged sword ... I spent many nights jammed into my pit with the aid of a pussers suitcase to stop me rolling about.Hull was black, rather than standard grey. Communications equipt was very limited. 1 HF tranceiver (NO SPARES CARRIED !) a battery operated 'Sailor' HF radio telephone, crystal set frequency and a UHF (again no spares) aircraft set ... other than this one aldis lamp. Radar was civvy and maintained by Redifon. very reliable. One Omega Navigator (never used) and Loran. Stornophones were carried for short range communications between the ship and its gemini ... always came back wet through and hence never worked .... Places visited Rockall ! (believe it or not) St Kilda ... good bar in the army depot. Thorshaven, Faeroes .... no alcohol permitted on the island, natives came aboard for a drink ! Amsterdam, Esbjerg, Stavanger, Hull, Aberdeen, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Stornoway. I did not enjoy the draft (along with the majority of the crew) for reason I will not go into, to spare the blushes of a certain person. Was glad to see the back of a ship that could have been a pleasure to serve aboard".

Vessel Details

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© Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. First uploaded February 15th 2001. Updated February 15th 2001. Disclaimer.