Green Parrot

Until 1945, the navy had used 45ft hard chine motorboats but much criticism of the hard chine boats’ sea keeping qualities required a different design. The Medium Speed Picket Boats such as Green Parrot were designed to replace the earlier craft.

This vessel was one of three boats ordered for Portsmouth; she was modified and finished as a barge for the Commander in Chief (C-in-C) Home Fleet in September 1956 on board HMS Maidstone.

Her recorded acceptance date is October 1956, being issued to C-in-C Home Fleet later that month. She was later used in this capacity on board HMS Tyne in February 1959. In 1960, approval was given to transfer her to C-in-C Portsmouth (Naval Home Command), subsequently being taken on to account as C-in-C’s barge. It was in this guise that she was named the ‘Green Parrot’ and of course, painted green.

While at Portsmouth she was modified for use by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as her Royal Barge during state visits to Portsmouth. The Green Parrot was taken out of service in 1996 and gifted to the Trust by the Admiral Superintendent as flagship of its historic boat collection. She is currently awaiting a lengthy restoration.