TRV ''Tailor'' (803) was one of three Torpedo Recovery Vessels operated by the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

(RAN) and Defence Maritime Services (DMS). Ordered in 1969, the vessel, originally identified as TRV 255, was completed in 1971 and assigned to the naval base in Sydney. The ship received a name and the pennant number "TRV 803" in 1983. In 1988, the three vessels were sold to DMS. ''Tailor'' was assigned to the naval base in Western Australia. ''Tailor'' was decommissioned in 2018.

Design and construction

The class was ordered in 1969 as replacements for World War II-era torpedo recovery vessels. The vessels each have a full load displacement of , a length of , a beam of , and a draught of . Propulsion machinery consists of three GM V8 diesels, which supply to the three propeller shafts. Top speed is , and the vessels have an endurance of 63 hours at . Each Fish-class vessel can recover up to eight torpedoes via a watertight stern gate.Gillett, 'Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946'', pp. 104–5 They are unarmed, and their sensor suite is limited to an I-band navigational radar. Nine personnel make up the crew. Three vessels were built at

Williamstown Dockyard Williamstown Dockyard was one of Australia's principal ship building yards at Williamstown, Victoria, Australia. The Colony of Victoria decided to construct a large slipway at Williamstown to provide ship repair facilities in 1856 and the Govern ...

for the

, with TRV 255 completed in April 1971.Saunders (ed.), ''IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2012–2013'', p. 36

Operational history

On entering service, TRV 255 was assigned to the naval base in Sydney. In addition to torpedo recovery, the vessels were used as dive tenders and as training vessels for the

Royal Australian Naval Reserve The Royal Australian Naval Reserve (RANR) is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Australian Navy in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian co ...

. In 1983, the boats were named and redesignated, with TRV 255 become ''Tailor'', with the pennant number "TRV 803". In 1988, the three vessels were sold to DMS. As part of the company's role in providing maritime support for the RAN, ''Tailor'' was assigned as a tender to in Western Australia.Wertheim, ''The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World'', p. 32 ''Tailor'' was still active with DMS as of 2012. In 2018, TRV Tailor was decommissioned and put up for sale to the public.

Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tailor Ships built in Victoria (Australia) Fish-class torpedo recovery vessels