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'Unsafe’ sub off-limits at sea festival
Last updated 13:20, Friday, 30 May 2008
THE public will be barred from touring a veteran submarine at a maritime festival in Barrow.
HMS Onyx was open to people for several years as part of a naval museum at Birkenhead.
But safety reasons mean the public won’t be allowed on the 300ft-sub during next weekend’s Festival of the Sea at Barrow shipyard.
Visitors will, however, be able to get a close-up view of the boat and there will also be a stand with information about her during the festival, on June 7 and 8.
And they can climb aboard surface warships HMS Exeter and HMS Walney, and the tall ship Kaskelot.
BAE spokesman Neil Lauderdale said: “While works are still under way preparing the vessel (HMS Onyx) in readiness for her debut as a museum piece, and with a potential 20,000 visiting the site over the course of the festival weekend, it was felt that in the interests of health and safety it would not be practical to allow such large numbers of people on and off what is a very confined space.â€
Andrew Pillifent, an ex-submariner and now deputy boat manager of Onyx, said as the sub is moored at BAE, the group has to follow the defence firm’s health and safety rules.
But it is hoped it will eventually be open to the public at another location in the town, he said.
The Oberon class, diesel-charged sub is a veteran of the 1982 Falklands conflict. It performed reconnaissance missions and dropped off and picked up special forces. Although built in Birkenhead, it is of a class that was also built in Barrow shipyard.
Businessman Joe Mullen bought it two years ago to be a star exhibit in a planned submarine heritage centre.
Current plans are for it to be moored in the empty graving dock at the Dock Museum.
But expensive dredging to move 20,000 cubic metres of silt and major alterations to the graving dock entrance are needed and the money to pay for that is still being sought.
lA special salute to Furness army, navy and airforce veterans will form part of this year’s Barrow Festival of the Sea, with the handing out of Veterans’ Badges.
Local veterans, who would like to be presented with their badges at the parade, to fill in the coupon, right.