Seatribe - Part 1

Issue: 2 Dated: 20th August 2023

The Port of London Authority (PLA) want to remove both both U6 & U7 the remaining two Maunsell Thames Army Forts & to this end made a feasibility study at U7 in summer 2003

Their concern is that the rusting super structure is a threat to peoples safety, based on the total collapse of Tongue Sands in 1996

The dismantling cost would be astronomical & would take 2 or more years to complete at a cost of £9 million

Red Sands Fort in 1964

Before anyone had shown interest in the structure Red Sands Fort (1964)

Radio Invicta on Red Sands Fort

Red Sands shortly after being taken over by Radio Invicta (1965)

Radio Invicta Frequency on Control Tower

The Radio Invicta 306 metre frequency painted on the roof of the Searchlight Tower (1965)

The Fort was 4 miles away from Radio City's Shivering Sands & had a similar "Heath Robinson" ariel system

KING Radio Car Sticker

The loss of Radio Invicta founder Tom Pepper saw the station become K.I.N.G announcing itself as coming from the Nore which had been dismantled in 1959!

Red Sands Fort Oil Painting

Red Sands Fort painted by Ian Scoones (1967)

Radio 390 Eve the Woman's Magazine of the Air

By now the fort had become home to the highly successful sweet music station Radio 390

Radio 390 Advertising picture

Radio 390's own advertising picture (1967)

Tender approaching Radio 390 Fort Complex

Radio 390 tender approaches Red Sands Fort for a crew change Roger Scott centre (1967)

Red Sands Fort in 1968

Red Sands Army Fort about to be boarded by Seatribe (1968)

Roger & Robin Adcroft

Roger & Robin (1968)

Red Sands Disco Red Sands Disco

Press Cuttings (1968)

One of the many ideas banded around

Crew of Project Seatribe

On the Fort the Seatribe group had first shown interest in the Red Sands Fort after Radio 390 left in 1967; Pictured Charlie, Robin, Steven Warwick, Jim & Colin with Patacake Stevie's wife foreground (1969)

Shore Link with Jim & Mike Bass

Jim & Mike Bass make an illicit link to shore (1969)

See more of Mike in the Mike Bass Tribute

Project Seatribe believe that it's highly unlikely that the Army forts would collapse without warning

Their proposal is to use any savings from the dismantling on preserving Red Sands Maunsell Army Fort

An animated three dimensional computer model of a complete set of Army Forts is being built to enable interested parties to take a virtual tour of the fort

Roger on Catwalk Delapidated Catwalk

Original Catwalk now long gone shown in (1968 & 1969)

The first priority would be to link the forts with temporary "Jungle Walks" like the one constructed on Shivering Sands

See Sutch City 2 & Sutch City 3 for pictures

Seatribe come ashore

Members of the Seatribe come ashore at the Sheerness slipway (1969)

Seatribe was tendered for the duration of the original project for 12 months the contract being with Nick Murray of N E Murray Tugs (Nore Maritime) Marine Contractors based at Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent

For more on Murray Tugs see Big L 1997

Bofors Gun Tower in 1967

Bofors Gun Tower (15th August 1977)

Seatribe left their mark as The Red Sands Development Corporation still visible on the tower

For pictures on top & inside this Bofors see navigate from Greta 1 & Red Sands 2003

Technical drawings have been prepared from the originals & Project Red of U6 Seatribe Project await response to requests for the inspection dive & funding

It's predicted that the PLA & a Taylor Woodrow Construction representative could be present to conduct an underwater survey weather permitting during low tides in July/August 2004

If this passes a meeting is proposed with the Royal Engineers to discuss project preparation

They are threatening to knock down the forts? That will be so sad! Last year they demolished a Concrete Barge on Canvey that was possibly part of the Mulberry Harbour. I was so upset I started a website about it Concrete Barge
I would love to take a peek on the forts - perhaps if you plan a trip this summer on the Barge and aim on paying another visit on the forts you could tell me when? I would love to come a few of us love the Forts.

Dave Bullock

Just found the pictures of Red Sands in 68/69 seeing Jim, Steve, Patacake, Robin etc certainly brought back some memories. I was part of the seatribe adventure and lived on the towers for many months in 1969. Part of the time I was with Malcolm Addison and some of the time I was alone.

The memory of waking alone on Red Sands early on a summers morning still ranks as one of life's most beautiful moments . The memory of wild stormy nights on those Towers is almost beyond comparison.
Malcolm and I wrote a log when we we out there and Steve used to have it, I don't know where it is now .I may have some pictures of the time and certainly have some poetry written while I was out there.
Thanks for the memory
yours Hugh Ratzer - Wales

This feature continues in Seatribe - Part 2

For details on all the Thames Estuary Forts see Fort Fax