The

picket boat A picket boat is a type of small naval craft. These are used for harbor patrol and other close inshore work, and have often been carried by larger warships as a ship's boat. They range in size between 30 and 55 feet. Patrol boats, or any craft en ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

, (also sometimes called a P1000) is a twin screw boat in use at

Britannia Royal Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...

in Dartmouth primarily to train

officer cadet Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Ai ...

s in boat handling and seamanship.

History

Although these boats were once carried on Royal Navy destroyers and above, they now serve only at the college in Dartmouth and can be seen flying the

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

or the

blue ensign The Blue Ensign is a flag, one of several British ensigns, used by certain organisations or territories associated or formerly associated with the United Kingdom. It is used either plain or defaced with a badge or other emblem. The ev ...

regularly on the

River Dart The River Dart is a river in Devon, England, that rises high on Dartmoor and flows for to the sea at Dartmouth. Name Most hydronyms in England derive from the Brythonic language (from which the river's subsequent names ultimately derive fr ...

and near the coast close to Start Point. The significance of the colour of the ensigns is based on the use of the vessel, but generally when the vessel is on official Royal Navy business through the training of officer cadets then it flies the white ensign; when crewed by the

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...

, it flies the blue ensign.

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...

trained on picket boats as part of his officer training at Dartmouth, which he undertook from June, 2008. Picket boats took their place in history once again by falling into place on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

for the Jubilee River Pageant in 2012. On this occasion the crews were commanded by Officers on the Initial Warfare Officer Foundation Course (IWOF) at Dartmouth, and crewed by officer cadets from Lancaster Division, undergoing initial naval training. Eight ‘Sea Class 15’ work boats by

ATLAS Elektronik Atlas Elektronik is a naval/marine electronics and systems business based in Bremen, Germany. It is involved in the development of integrated sonar systems for submarines and heavyweight torpedoes. The company was a subsidiary of BAE System ...

UK (AEUK) will replace the picket boats from autumn 2020. The first boat was delivered in November 2020.

References

{{reflist

External links

BBC News - Prince William starts at BRNC

Picket boat helps stricken yacht

Picket boats in Jubilee pageant

Picket boats practice for Jubilee pageant
Patrol vessels of the Royal Navy Military boats

History

See also

References

External links