This was a beautiful tug from any angle. Every line was just right.
She was built by Fleming and Ferguson of Paisley in 1958. Slightly anachronistic being steam powered: Oil fired Scotch boilers with triple expansion engines albeit slightly higher revving. Also had sort nozzles to focus the prop thrust quite effectively.
As the Board's Chief engineer (who was chief on Aucklander) said to me at the time, the tugs had to be on standby at Queens Wharf so the crews had to do something. A steam ship gave them plenty to do.
She was built by Fleming and Ferguson of Paisley in 1958. Slightly anachronistic being steam powered: Oil fired Scotch boilers with triple expansion engines albeit slightly higher revving. Also had sort nozzles to focus the prop thrust quite effectively.
As the Board's Chief engineer (who was chief on Aucklander) said to me at the time, the tugs had to be on standby at Queens Wharf so the crews had to do something. A steam ship gave them plenty to do.
She was laid uo for some time at Queens Wharf when she was retired and was eventually sold in 1985 to a Wellington concern to be made into a hollow shell containing a restaurant. A scratch crew from the Auckland Steam Society took her south and after some hours of continuous work and some tinkering by one of her ex engineers the Late Graeme Wilkinson, she ran as never before -economically for a start.
Her machinery was removed and scrapped (needed the money y'know) and her lines were completely rulned by the weather proofing fill ins and she became an ugly addition to the Oriental Bay foreshore. She ceased being of interest to the true believers.
She is for sale.
Her machinery was removed and scrapped (needed the money y'know) and her lines were completely rulned by the weather proofing fill ins and she became an ugly addition to the Oriental Bay foreshore. She ceased being of interest to the true believers.
She is for sale.