4 APRIL 1992, Page 29

Abandon ship

THE ROYAL NAVY offers to sell HMS St Vincent, now moored in South Kensington. This stone frigate turns out to be a large stuccoed terrace, which, according to the silent service, is a sailors' hostel. How many more are there? Who says there is nothing left to privatise? I have a plan for accom- modating sailors in floating barracks with low site costs and zero ground rents. These would be called ships.