Notice given of plan to dismantle Ramsgate’s historic steam tug Cervia and sell off parts

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/202...historic-steam-tug-cervia-and-sell-off-parts/

 

+1. PS Ryde all over again.

 

Can't they find a slipway to enable her to be dragged out of the water ?

Bob.

 

Sadly hull repairs, even on a tug, can be astronomically expensive.

ss"Shieldhall" came close to being a lost cause, only a few years ago.

 

If they can get her out of the water it will enable the hull to be protected until at some time in the future funding is available.

Bob.

 

Ships hulls sadly dont last well out of water as they are not designed to spend long periods supported on slipways or dry docks

 

They seem to be managing OK with the Great Britain. And according to that news item this tug is already in a dry dock, so they should only need to pump out the water and install props to shore up the hull.

 

I think you will find that it is a disused and inoperable dry dock.

 

We're talking about a tugboat here, not an ocean liner.

Bob.

 

M'yes, but even sitting under cover in a dry shed, "on the blocks", didn't do "Manxman" any good.

And as an example of a small ship's hull deteriorating, I give you "Turbinia" - whose hull is also full of 'oles...

 

Manxman, first ship I was allowed on the controls of, I can now look at the Boy Racers/4x4 owners/whatever and say the biggest thing I ever drove had a larger emergency generator than the engine you have under your bonnet

 

I've had 2x 26,000hp engines under my simultaneous direct control - that was quite thrilling for a callow youth of some 20 summers...

 

Holes can be fixed when the ship is out of the water - with pots of money to pay for re-plating.
'Manxman' should have been preserved, but the wonderful Peel Holdings wouldn't allow her into any of their docks on the Mersey.
The former Mersey ferry 'Royal Iris' , now rotting on/in the River Thames was sailing in service with approx. 36 doubler plates welded to her below waterline hull areas, all done during many yearly dry dockings, and only withdrawn when they suspected that the diesel generators could potentially drop through the bottom plating.

Bob.

 

I was only on the starboard turbine, trying to work both single handed would have been beyond me. The late Ken Angel described having to deal with Balmorals engines all on his own when a passenger had to be evacuated by helicopter and he didnt enjoy the experience