The Steamboating Forum

Hi,

I have just joined the site, hello all.

I have seen an old craft-a small tug, possibly derived from a picket boat or similar,now moored and abandoned on the island-Port Hampton on the Thames, near the green footbridge.It has been there for at least several years-now looking rather sad, no sign of any activity or interest taken....I have tried to attach a picture of it moored next to the trees.No doubt local boaters have seen it.

Great shame there are many craft on the river, left to decay, year on year.Perhaps the owner cant be traced, or is still paying the mooring charges, fees,etc !!

Are these craft worth saving-?

regards,Sunburyboy

Hi - and welcome to the forum.

Unfortunately you seem to have little success attaching the picture to your post.

I am no expert – but to let us see it, I think you should upload the picture to some web side first, for example http://s229.photobucket.com – and refer to the pictures web address in between two [img] s, made by clicking the "img" button.

Best regards
Jørgen

Welcome Sunburyboy ,

I'm sure you will be able to post your picture , some approximate dimensions would also be useful in helping to identify the boat .
It would be nice to save all historic and good looking vessels ; sadly the cost is usually so high that only the most important boats can be saved . If however the condition isn't too bad the price might not be too high : the next problem is that there isn't a limitless list of people or organisations willing or able to help and most are already pretty heavily committed .

Keep trying with the picture/s , identifying the boat would definitely be essential before any steps towards restoration could be attempted .

Regards Edward .

Hi Edward, Jorgen, others,good morning-

thanks for your messages.

having sought advice, now think ive compressed the picture-not sure if the quality will be fuzzy!!

anyway here it is-for scale the rowing boat 8 gives an idea.

here we go

Simon

She'd be beautiful if restored. I wonder what shape her engine and boiler are in?

Judging by the funnel, I would say they were either never in there, or replaced with a diesel LOOONG ago.

50ft?

Perhaps the chaps who run the 199 should be informed

Welcome to the forum Sunburyboy.

Hi all, thank you for your greetings !

I am relieved the picture attached ok, the rowing 8 were passing at the time, so I included them-the rowing boat is about 20m long I would think, so for scale the old tug must be a similar length-15m?.

From the pictures and articles I have read, I would guess the hull was originally a launch, picket, pinnace?, or a mix of these. It would seem to be too small to be a proper tug, which are substantial and have space for a full crew. Would the age be say 1900-1940?

The craft appears to have been altered somewhat-particularly the odd cabin /wheelhouse looks rather peculiar!! Would it have been coal/steam powered when built?. Now probably with some kind of diesel engine.

The funnel may be a clue to the history-painted red/pink with 2 stripes and a dolpin-if you take a closer look at the photo-perhaps associated with a shipping company with that logo?

Anyway-shame it has just been left to decay.

Regards-Sunburyboy!

Hi Sunburryboy

Have you been close enough to tell what material the hull is made of?

From the last picture, I get the blasfemic thought that it is ferro-cement with a loose transom, the whole thing probably constructed by an eccentric guy having odd ideas about what a ship should look like.

Best regards
Jørgen

Hi Folks

That looks an interesting relic. I wonder if the two broad rubbing strakes are misleading us? It could be that they are later additions to a traditional wooden carvel hull. The transom looks very RN in style. Could it be a former harbour service launch as a fair few still exist as housboats and other things? We need an expert here!

Regards

Pete