Dainty - Fast Motor Dinghy

Fast Motor Dinghy (FMD) 5004 was built by Woodnuts’ Boatyard on the Isle of Wight in 1951 to serve as the captain’s boat aboard the Daring-class destroyer, HMS Dainty.

These boats are of hard chine planing form.  They were designed in the mid 1930’s and were issued to:
i) All ships carrying aircraft;
ii) All flotilla leaders in full commission, and E class and later destroyers; and
iii) For Aberdeen and later patrol vessels.

Popularly known as skimmers or dishes, boats of this design proved to be unreliable and often received adverse comments from captains.  In the early 1950’s, a new design vee drive 16ft. FMD was constructed using a fibreglass PVC sandwich by J. S. White & Sons and had favourable proving trials on board HMS Cumberland during the summer of1957.  Subsequently all 16ft. FMDs were replaced by the new vee drive design.

FMD 5004 was replaced in 1958 when she transferred to the Port Auxiliary Service in Portland, finally completing her service with the Royal Navy in 1962.

Boat Stats

Length Overall

16ft 6in

Beam

6ft

Draft

11.5in fwd, 20.5in aft

Displacement

1.25 tons

Engine

Not currently fitted, originally a Coventry KF4.

Speed

21 knots

Construction

Topsides 3/8" African mahogany, bottom 1/4"African mahogany double diagonal. Keel - spruce. Frames - Canadian rock elm. Beams - mahogany. Decking - 3.4" Burmese teak.

Date Built

1951

Boat Yard

Woodnutts, Newport, Isle of Wight

Supported by:

Supported by Regional Growth Fund