Page 94 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

boat would cruise at about 13 knots, only returning to "operational" speed for the practice

attack.

Mishaps

While on the range at Strandfontein, R10’s engines failed and the batteries were too weak

to restart them. R16, operating on only three engines went to assist and managed to float a

towline to the distressed vessel. The coxswain of R16 went astern instead of ahead and
caught the line in starboard propeller, and it had to be cut. The crew of R10 had already let

go their anchor and before long the boat was driven up on the only rocks along the coast,

by a strong south-easterly wind. During the first night, a high sea came up and pushed the
launch higher onto the rocks, resulting in further damage. Boiler tubes from the City of

Lincoln (holed on Quoin Point and being stripped in Cape Town Harbour) were used as
rollers for the "rocket launch" of R10 back into the sea. As the war had ended, it was not

economically viable to repair the boat and she was broken up at Gordon’s Bay.

Survivors

Of the Miamis sold it is known that four were named Rainbow, Ziller, Zest and Seaforth.

Hugh Tevis, the owner of Rainbow, sold the original motors and re-engined the boat before
using it in trips to Seal Island in the 1950s. It subsequently went to Durban where it was

used during the shark scares of the time. The Ziller became the Bonnie Jean and in 1962,

joined the Rainbow in Durban.

Zest (R4) was purchased by Ian Garlick and converted for day fishing trips and at the time
two General Motors engines were installed. A Norwegian Whaler Captain, who planned to

use it for runs to Seal Island, subsequently bought it. He sold it on to Tex Ferriera from

Northern Rhodesia (Zambia). Harry Dilley then purchased the vessel, which by then had
suffered a damaged gearbox

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