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I'd say yes

They did rather screw things up by plonking the synchrolift slap bang in the middle though. You would have probably been able to get all four alongside stem to stern prior to that.

Just fits.

Before they built the synchro where they did you would have been able to get four and a quarter frigates alongside the quay. With the synchro the actual length of the wharf is more than it was but you now have the kinky bits in the middle.

Nope.

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A plan is simply a basis for change.

Ah well, they aren't that great a bunch of pictures unless you actually know what the place looked like before. I have a sat image of the major part of the base - but it's too big to post and once photobucket has crunched it all the detail is lost - so I won't post that either. Google Earth ain't too terrible - there's a 22 metre T-Craft alongside which gives an idea of scale.

Here's the Google earth picture with the T-Craft marked on it to give scale of the quay space alongside at Salisbury Island:

Aren't those other two ships two of the Frigates in any way?

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Da-di-da-da-da

The two frigates were 'photoshopped' in by Eugene to show space available.

The frigates are a bit oversized I'm afraid. Used the T-craft to size them and did it roughly.

If I remember correctly, the shipwrights worked to the nearest 6 inches in the old days, so your scale is not too shabby

Not so much of the "old days". President Kruger was 8 inches longer than the President Steyn - although they were from different yards they should have been the same length.

When we started with the C47TP Project, we discovered to our amazement that virtually no two Dakotas were the same. There were differences in the fuselage size, some big components were not exactly the same, wiring, looms, inspection panels etc were sometimes very individualistic. This was also due to the Dakota being assembled in many different locations in the world, with components and parts being manufactured in even more places!

By the way, when I was flying at 25 Sqn, Yplt all the Daks were leaking like sieves when flying through rain. No good co-pilot ever flew without a plastic raincoat in his flight bag, two if he was a good co-pilot because the commander might have forgotten his! Of particular interest was the overhead escape hatch in the cockpit, the very same one that caused Andre Pieterse to have an electrical fire with concomitant total electrical failure at night over the Karoo with the Navy Staff Course on board upon flying through heavy rain with a C47TP I think in 1994(?).

In the old days, there were no electrics/electronics, circuitry, motherboards or anything in the roof, just bare aluminium. With the modification, a very nice overhead panel with switches an guages for the Flight Engineer was designed and positioned just forward of the escape hatch. The young engineers were confident that no water will leak, but they did not fully comprehend the differences in size, shape and geometry of the old Daks, and designed a one-size-fits-all seal for the escape hatch. You should have seen the faces of the members of the BOI when they started questioning some of us old Dak pilots about water leaks! The modifications afterwards were also something to experience!

It's precision engineering. Measure with a micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with an axe.

Dragging this discussion back (almost) on topic....

Is there enough space on or next to SalisburyIsland to house the SAAF helicopters that have to leave the old Durban Airport soon?

Co-locating could also help with providing services for choppers on the ships.

It's a thought, but it would be very tricky to depart and land on Salisbury Island at night with horrible weather, remember no more ILS. To proclaim a safe arrival and departure to and from the LZ in between and amongst the all the high ground, cranes, derricks, towers, masts, lines, tall buildings, ships and lights at night would really be a challenge, but maybe? One of the primary roles of 15 Sqn is S&R and this almost without fail goes hand-in-hand with inclement weather.