Name PB7

Built in 1975 by Perkins of Whitstable, as Number 7 of 8 picket boats for the Royal Navy. She is the first of only two built at Whitstable, (the remaining 6 were constructed at Shoreham), she saw service from 1975 to 2022 at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, as their twin screw training vessels. 

The instructors said that they behaved just like little frigates. Operating predominantly on the River Dart and on the South Devon Coast, they went on annual expeditions to France and the Channel Islands as a small 8-boat flotilla. In 2005, they acted as the fleet taxis for the Trafalgar 200 Fleet Review. 

Their design remained fundamentally unchanged through their lives, having had a wheelhouse roof added early on, (taking account of soggy south west weather) and revisions of their navigation systems. It is estimated that these vessels were part of the training of around 30,000 naval officers from all around the world. 

Once withdrawn from service, they were made publicly available, and many were bought for conversion to live-on houseboats. PB7 was bought by a group of 4 retired naval officers, whose desire was to preserve her as a historic ship for their private use, for nostalgia and experience trips for others and to help generate funds for charities.