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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: PT 302 progress 8/25/2013
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=3326

Got all the guns made The forward deck is almost smooth and looks like a photograph, a little more sanding and satin finish. A little to glossy now I dull it up a bit later. Really happy with how it's going.

Posted By: Bob Butler | Posted on: Aug 25, 2013 - 2:12pm
Total Posts: 192 | Joined: Mar 23, 2013 - 11:58am

Really excited about the new progress photos you sent to me Bob. She is really coming along, and I know Arthur Frongello will love the photos I just sent to him. LOOKING GREAT MY FRIEND. Jerry must love this, it's a HIGGINS project...................

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Aug 25, 2013 - 5:01pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

Ahoy there!

The deck is glossy because she just returned at high-speed from a patrol, so she could be first to get refuelled.

Looking really good there Bob.

Cheers from Peter

"Give me a fast boat for we want to get out of harm's way too."

Posted By: PeterTareBuilder2 | Posted on: Aug 25, 2013 - 5:02pm
Total Posts: 204 | Joined: Dec 8, 2012 - 6:03pm

Bob;
She is looking really great!
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Aug 26, 2013 - 7:22am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Heads up Bob, I just heard some scuttlebutt that the 302 is going to receive orders to attend the "What If" Reunion in the Southwest as soon as she is sea-worthly before being released to head off to the far east and Frankie's "Theater of Operations". As soon as those orders are received in this office, I will forward them to you forthwith.
Carry On

Posted By: Roy Forbes | Posted on: Aug 26, 2013 - 3:47pm
Total Posts: 371 | Joined: Sep 5, 2012 - 4:57pm

Sounds great, let me know,. Here are a few more photos. Frank and I decided to go for it and take a guess at the life raft support. I also did the radars. Anyone know how the flag was attached to the back of the mass? No yardarms at this stage of life for 302, so no line and pully set up there, and cant find any photos for a centerline attachment. Just realizied she's just about done.

Posted By: Bob Butler | Posted on: Aug 26, 2013 - 4:16pm
Total Posts: 192 | Joined: Mar 23, 2013 - 11:58am

Bob, she looks wonderful. It looks as though this project has moved into the advanced stages. Looks like toe rails, raft contents, helmets, gun suppressor rails, a few more do dad's and she will be ready for her shipment to Massachusetts. I think the guys will agree that she looks BEAUTIFUL........................................

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Aug 26, 2013 - 7:39pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

Bob,
Looks great, good work.

Best Regards,
Stu.

Posted By: Stuart Hurley | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 12:36am
Total Posts: 255 | Joined: Mar 19, 2013 - 3:32am

Still can't find anything on the attachment of the Flag on the center line of the Radar Mast. At this point Bob, I would attach her with that set up from the photo I sent to you. It must have been a simple Eye Hook to keep the Flag from being blown off at high speed.....................

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 12:35pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

Frank: When the back of our flag would get whipped down to where the red and white stripes were only about 4-5 inches long from the blue field it was time to change out and put up a new flag. I don't recall how our flag was attached to the radar mast. I brought one of our whipped down flags home and it is now at Battleship Cove in the museum.

C. J. Willis

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 1:32pm
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm

Frank and Bob;
I asked this same question back while doing my 308 mast. As you know original the mast had a yardarm on each side, then some boats in RON 22 would remove one because of the BN/BK antennae.
Go back to this post I did:

http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?fid=102&cid=101&tid=2486&sc=20&pg=1&x=0

As you will notice in the link is a photo of PT 302, but what is strange is the have the yardarms still in place, but are using a centerline mounting. Could this be a similar mounting to the earlier Higgins mast? Which when mounted would be centerline pointing aft? Or it could be an eyebolt with a block mounted.

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Ted%20Walther/PT302RON22flagmounting.jpg[/image]
PT 302 RON 22 with both yardarms, but flag mounted centerline.

Here are some "Idea" photos, including another of 302 which shows NO mountings.

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Ted%20Walther/PT302.jpg[/image]

PT 302: If enlarged there is "something" on the crossmember, maybe an eyebolt, I don't know. however, what looks like a yardarm on the starboard side, might actually be a crossmember on the crane which is next to the boat.

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Ted%20Walther/RON22LCDRDouglasFairbanksJr.jpg[/image]

LCDR DOUGLAS "SINBAD The Sailor" FAIRBANKS aboard PT 309 RON 22

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Ted%20Walther/PT237RON19GreenIslandPattyThomasandEnsSmall.jpg[/image]

PT 237 RON 19 Green Island 1944

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/Ted%20Walther/PT240RON19GREENISLAND1944.jpg[/image]

PT 240 RON 19 Green Island 1944.

Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 2:24pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Ted, I'm thinking eyebolts.too. Tell me more about SINbad??? She would e a great addition to one of my boats. And thanks for all the help everyone, you guys are really great.

Posted By: Bob Butler | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 4:04pm
Total Posts: 192 | Joined: Mar 23, 2013 - 11:58am

Hello CJ

Thanks so much, several of the flags that I have in my exhibit, show plenty of end wear, which to me shows that the flag was really on the boat. Finding photos that show how they were attached to the center-line of the mast is a tough chore. Thanks for the photos Ted, I have all of these, and still could not see how they were attached.

Posted By: Frank Andruss | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 4:28pm
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined: Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am

Frank;
Best thing I can tell you is zoom in on the 302 photo taken from the port side, pierside. If you enlarge it, it sort of looks like an eyebolt. If you want to have Bob go with that do it. Arthur already rogered up, and I can tell you, from my experience, I have even used zip ties on the radar mast on my boats. Field expedient is the word.
Take Care,
Ted

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 6:04pm
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

Bob,

Ted was referring to the photo of Hollywood actor Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. on PT 309. Fairbanks played Sinbad in the movie "Sinbad, The Sailor" (1947).

Fairbanks was a Naval officer in WWII, working with PT boats in the MTO, and participated in the Sicily and Elba operations. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit with "V" for valor for his combat service with the PTs.

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 7:28pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am

Thanks for the heads up Drew.

Posted By: Bob Butler | Posted on: Aug 27, 2013 - 7:42pm
Total Posts: 192 | Joined: Mar 23, 2013 - 11:58am

Bob;
looks like you only need a few more items, if you need a photo of the throttle/gauge housing, I have a photos of 309's.
Let me know.
Take care,
TED

Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Aug 28, 2013 - 7:21am
Total Posts: 3059 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am

If you want to post anything go ahead, that would be great. I don't think I have photos of 302 but I do of a few PT's away. Theres a partical you posted yesterday. Frank has sent me ton's of stuffI, kind of figured Throttles would be saved for last. Plans can change. I've got to build Toe rails, rudders, suppressor rails, hand rails, the platform they stand on at the helm and vents. The exhast manafolds are cast and need to be added. As I'm finishing the deck I'm going to finish the charthouse next, it's still in primer. I'm got to detail every thing, it's close to being done. maybe 2 or 3 weeks if all goes well. Thanks for the offer.

Posted By: Bob Butler | Posted on: Aug 28, 2013 - 7:48am
Total Posts: 192 | Joined: Mar 23, 2013 - 11:58am