Fireboat Alexander Grantham 葛量洪號滅火輪

In a fine breezy afternoon, I went with a group of sketchers to sketch the now retired fireboat, Alexander Grantham.

Info of this fireboat from Wikipedia:

The Alexander Grantham (Chinese: 葛量洪號) was a fireboat of Hong Kong's Fire Services Department. The fireboat was named after former Governor Sir Alexander Grantham. The boat has since retired from service and been replaced by other vessels.

Alexander Grantham, the largest in the fleet of fireboats, was built by the Hong Kong Whampoa Dock Company Limited in 1953 and decommissioned in May 2002, after 49 years of service.

Measuring 38.9 metres long, 8.8 metres wide, 15 metres tall and with a loaded displacement of 511 tonnes, it has taken part in numerous fire-fighting and rescue operations, including the Seawise University fire in 1972, the Eastern Gate fire in the 1980s and the New Orient Princess fire in 1993.

Alexander Grantham is also a great example of the Hong Kong shipbuilding industry's achievements in the early 1950s. It showcases Hong Kong's sea salvage history of the past century and provides a glimpse of the territory's social development.

前兩天與畫友到太古海傍畫葛量洪號滅火輪。

维基百科資料:

葛量洪號曾是消防處的主力滅火輪，1953年6月30日在黃埔船塢出廠，耗資400萬港元製造，以當時的香港總督葛量洪爵士命名。2002年退役前一直為亞洲最大的滅火輪。

葛量洪號船身長38.9米，闊8.8米，高15米，排水量503噸，船速可達每小時12.5海里。船上設有多條用於救火的中攻喉筆、消防泵、水炮和打撈設備，能應付大型遠洋輪船的高層結構火警，並可作為大型海上事故的指揮船。

鑑於葛量洪號具歷史意義，香港歷史博物館把它列為藏品，並且建設葛量洪號滅火輪展覽館，妥善裝置此滅火輪，開放予公眾參觀。此外，展覽館還展出獨特的消防文物，並且輔以多媒體介紹，增進公眾對香港海上救援工作的認識。

主要貢獻

• 1960年代香港制水期間負責運送淡水供市民取用
• 撲救1971年10月30日發生的珍寶海鮮舫大火
• 撲救1972年1月9日發生的伊利莎白皇后號（海上學府）大火
• 撲救1980年代初的東閘號油輪大火
• 撲救1986年的香港仔避風塘大火
• 救援1988年8月31日中國民航301號班機墮海空難
• 撲救1993年8月25日發生的賭船新東方公主號大火