HMS Sidlesham was a Ham class inshore minesweeper launched on 25th March 1955. At the end of her naval service she was decommissioned and sold by the Navy in July 1967. In 1973, the ex HMS Sidlesham was towed to Chichester harbour (less all her naval weaponry and engines) .
Gerald Daniel was a young Police Constable who sadly lost his life. His father purchased the ship which he renamed 'Gerald Daniel' in memory of his son, and donated it to the Sussex Police Authority. Subsequently it was acquired by the Christian Youth Enterprise Sailing Centre for use as accommodation.


October 7th 2010	The 'Gerald Daniel' leaves Cobnor
On October 7th 2010, the 'Gerald Daniel' left her mud berth at Cobnor. A feature of the harbour landscape for the last thirty years or more, GD was the accommodation vessel of the Christian Youth Enterprise Sailing Centre. She is off to a new berth on the Thames. Looked at another way this was the end of a chapter in the life of HMS Sidlesham.
HMS Sidlesham was a Ham class inshore minesweeper launched on 25th March 1955. At the end of her naval service she was decommissioned and sold by the Navy in July 1967. In 1973, the ex HMS Sidlesham was towed to Chichester harbour (less all her naval weaponry and engines) . Gerald Daniel was a young Police Constable who sadly lost his life. His father purchased the ship which he renamed 'Gerald Daniel' in memory of his son, and donated it to the Sussex Police Authority. Subsequently it was acquired by the Christian Youth Enterprise Sailing Centre for use as accommodation.
	HMS Sidlesham displaced 164 tons fully laden and was armed with one 20 mm Oerlikon gun. She was 32.5 metres (110ft) long overall by 6.4 metres(20ft) beam. The construction was of mahogany wood to minimise her magnetic signature. The crew complement was 15, rising to 22 in wartime (although she never saw active service). She had two 550 bhp Paxman diesel engines. Maximum speed was 14 knots (26 km/h) dropping to 9 knots (17 km/h) when mine sweeping.


The date for the move was chosen to coincide with exceptionally high spring tides. The tug booked for the job broke down with gearbox trouble at the last moment, so a replacement tug had to be found in a hurry so as not to miss the high tide. 'Viverrina' stepped in to help. As you can see, she has a catamaran hull and looks as though her usual work may be to do with fishing. Google 'viverrina' and you will learn, if you didn't know, that 'Felis Viverrina' is an asian fishing cat, see picture opposite. But I digress. Viverrina did a splendid job taking GD to a mooring off Chalkdock Point (on the Bosham side from Cobnor), as you will see. GD no longer has any means of steering so several ribs were employed to help keep her on the right course.






Her new temporary mooring	There she is - gone!