RFA C648 after sale out of service as mv Comity

Subsequent name:                     Comity,   Constellation,  Careyna

Official Number:                         182906

Class:                                         Oil Lighter

Pennant No:

Laid down:
Builder:                                      Jas Pollock, Sons & Co Ltd, Faversham
Launched:                                  1946
Into Service:                               May 1949
Out of service:                            August 1958
Fate:

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

Background Data:

Naval Stores harbour craft were usually allocated a number bearing the prefix C. This descended from the days when the Coaling Officer operated the fuelling craft and many of these craft were operated by the Naval Stores Department under the Director of Stores (Navy) C numbers were allocated to craft such as dumb barges, coal lighters, dumb coal lighters, self-propelled diesel lighters, self-propelled stores lighters, launches and tugs of which a number were registered as RFA’s and wore the ‘green stripe’ that indicated the Naval Stores Department

1946  launched by  Jas Pollock, Sons & Co Ltd, Faversham as Yard Nr 1848 named C 648 for the Naval Stores Department

May 1949 completed

15 June 1953 C648 ran aground at Robin Hood Bay, Whitby, Yorkshire while carrying a cargo of lubricating oil from Sheerness to Rosyth. She was towed off and into Whitby Harbour for inspection

23 August 1955 arrived the River Tyne from Rosyth berthing at Swan Hunters, Wallsend

25 August 1955 sailed from the River Tyne for Sheerness

29 January 1958 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway berthing on RFA BACCHUS (2)

1 February 1958 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway

August 1958 purchased by F.T. Everard & Sons Ltd., Greenhithe and renamed COMITY

25 February 1959 passed the Lloyds Signal Station at Dover sailing westbound

1960 re-engined with 1 x 4 cyl 240 x 345mm diesel engine by Newbury Diesel Co Ltd, Newbury

February 1964 purchased by Marine Salvage and Survey Services Ltd, Croydon and renamed CONSTELLATION

30 April 1964 at 56°04N 01°17E Steward James Little Sharp discharged dead. Found missing at sea and presumedd drowned

1966 Purchased by Overseas and General Brokerage Finance Co Ltd ( W.J. Sutton, Manager) London name unchanged

1968 Purchased by Southwold Marine Aggregates Ltd, Southwold and renamed CAREYNA

1972 Purchased by Carter and Ward of Wickford Ltd, Wickford name unchanged

January 1977 Purchased for demolition by Metal Recoveries Ltd, Newhaven