World Ship Society - IMAGES - Photo Album-JMF-01

The photos in this album are all by WSS member Jim McFaul, and show a variety of vessels that he has managed to photograph in 2010.  The album is made up of three separate sets. 

WARNING:  All photographs on this website are copyrighted by the photographer and/or the World Ship Society, and are not to be copied, distributed or otherwise used for any commercial purpose without the written consent of the photographer. However, the Society can, if it so wishes, use any of the images as it sees fit, for publication in any of its publications or for its image library.

Set No. 3 - The Antwerp Tall Ships Festival, July 2010

1729 - MERCEDES.
On the 10th July 2010 we arrived in Antwerp at the start of the Tall Ships Festival.  Walking down to the the quays lining the banks of the Scheldt our first view is of the Dutch brig MERCEDES which was only converted to sail in 2005.  She was built at Leiden in 1958 as a side trawler HUIBERTJE, later becoming ORA ET LABORA, DEO JUVANTE, ATLANTIC and ATLANTIC A. In her latter years she was under the red ensign. Laid up and sold to Dutch breakers at Urk she was resold and converted to the brig MERCEDES. Commenced sailing in 2005 and can cater for both day cruises or more extended trips.

1737 - VIKSTRAUM. Most of Antwerp's modern docks are downstream of here but the river system runs into the heart of Europe and modern vessel could also be seen passing. Here is the Maltese flag VIKSTRAUM built as the OT ACID in 1981 at Oskarhamns.

1738 - VIKSTRAUM
As the VIKSTRAUM departs downstream seemingly out of place amongst generally much older vessels. She passes the Russian barque KRUZENSHTERN coming in under tow to her berth.

1739 -
KRUZENSHTERN.
KRUZENSHTERN was  built at Bremerhaven in 1926 as the working cargo vessel PADUA of the famous Flying P Line, F Laeisz mgrs, Hamburg. Ceded to Russia after the Second World War and renamed. Now owned by the Baltic Fishing Fleet State Academy, Kaliningrad  she is the last operational Flying P clipper, three others are in a state of static preservation.

1743 -
UNION 11 takes charge of the KRUZENSHTERN's bow, her sister ship UNION 8 is on the stern.  Both were built by Armon , Navia, for Union Remorquage Sauvetage, Antwerpen in 1997, They are tractor tugs and  equipped for pollution control and fire-fighting.  Behind them is the THALASSA under sail.

1745 -
Another view of KRUZENSHTERN.

1746 -
UNION 8 swinging KRUZENSHTERN's stern.

1751 -
Further down the quay is the 46m brig MORGENSTER.

1754 -
With the KRUZENSHTERN berthed the Dutch THALASSA proceeds upstream with a party of sightseers on board.

1755 -
She is followed by the ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT just arriving and readily recognised by her green hull (and sails when raised),  It is not obvious but she was built in 1906 as a typical German light vessel and only converted to a barque in 1988.

1757 -
THALASSA and ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT

1759 -
THALASSA was built in 1980 as the Dutch North Sea trawler RELINQUENDA.  She sank on the 9th August 1984 after hitting a sunken wreck. Salvaged on the 17th August she was taken into Den Helder. Sold and rebuilt she emerged in 1995 as the sailing vessel THALATTA.

1760 — DERRA was one of a number of small vessels used to take sight-seers around the fleet,  She is normally employed on day fishing trips.

1768 -
ASTRID was built at the end of the Great War at Scheveningen as an iron hulled auxilary trading schooner and traded extensively from the Baltic to the Bay of Biscay. In the mid fifties her rig was removed and she was re-engined as a motor coaster, her sails being used as hatch tarpaulins. In 1977 when approached by a customs vessel off Dungeness on suspicion of drug smuggling, the crew torched the vessel killing two and the three others missing.  She was towed into Newhaven where after a year of claim and counter claim she was put up for sail by the Admiralty Marshall. Purchased for £5000 and towed into the Hamble she lay for another five years until purchased by John Amos who rebuilt her as a sailing ship and fitted her with a diesel from a Rhine barge. Now has a crew of 35 and regularly sails across the Atlantic.

1770 -
Built as the whale catcher POL II, ARTEMIS came from the yard of by Nylands, Oslo in 1926 .  She was sold in 1948, re-engined and renamed LISTER. In 1951 she was lengthened and converted to a cargo ship. Renamed ARTEMIS in 1966 she was converted to a passenger carrying barque in 2001.

1773 -
Another view of ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT.

1777 -
A close up of the KRUZENSHTERN.

1785 -
Many more sailing vessels were berthed in the older part of the commercial dock system .  One of these was the Russian SHTANDART built in 1999 at St Petersburg as a replica of a vessel built there 300 years earlier in 1703 by Peter The Great.  A great deal of modern craftmanship has gone into the elaborate wooden figurehead and other carvings.

1787 -
Visitors are encouraged aboard the SHTANDART for a small donation. Here is a Russian Orthodox altar within the vessel.

1800 -
A view of SHTANDART's stern and the windows of the captain's cabin.

1801 -
The British TENACIOUS is operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust. Commissioned in 2003 she is said to be the largest wooden hull built in the UK for over a hundred years. She is fully equipped to cater for a mixed disabled and able bodied crew.

1802 -
The Omani Navy's topsail schooner SHABAB OMAN was originally the British CAPTAIN SCOTT built 1971 in Scotland. She was sold to the Omani's in 1979 and carries 24 trainees.

1806 -
The Norwegian barque STATSRAAD LEHMKUHL was delivered in 1914 as GROSSHERZOG FRIEDRICK AUGUST  for the German Schoolship Association.  During the First World War she served as a stationary training vessel and post war ceded to the Allies. In 1923 she passed to the Norwegian Shipowners Association and renamed STATSRAAD LEHNKUHL after its founder. During the Second World War she was renamed WESTWARTS but post war reverted to STATSRAAD LEHMKUHL.  She is operated by the Foundation for Tall Ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl

1811 -
Another Norwegian, the ship rigged training vessel SORLANDET has a steel hull fitted with steel and wood masts. She was built in 1927 to serve as training ship for the Norwegian Merchant Marine.  During World War II served as an accomodation ship for German submariners.

1812 -
Staying with the Scandinavian vessels,  the Danish GEORG STAGE is a full rigged training ship built in 1935.  Owned by the The Georg Stage Memorial Foundation which was founded in 1882 by Carl Frederik and Thea Stage, Danish shipowners,in memory of their son who died at the age of 22.

1813 -
Another view of the SORLANDET. She was the last major European sail training ship to operate without an engine.

1821 -
Despite the festivities work continues and crew members of the Polish sail training barquentine ORP ISTRA wash down the stern and polish up the brass work. She was built in 1982.

1825 -
A close  up of the ginger-bread on the stern of STATSRAAD LEHMKUHL.

1830 -
DE GERLACHE, a traditional sailing barge, operated sight-seeing trips within the docks system.

1842 -
The band of the Omani Navy's topsail schooner SHABAB OMAN toured the other ships in port playing the traditional Omani bagpipes.

1865 — KRUZENSHTERN like many other vessels was open to the public. A view of the main deck.

1866 -
Looking up into the mass of ropes forming the KRUZENSHTERN's rigging.

1877 -
On board the DEWARUCI where the wooden bridge, doors and fittings were elaborately carved in traditional Indonesain style.

1888 —
On Sunday 11th, we paid another visit to the Tall Ships, just in time to catch the MERCEDES in the river.

1889 -
Another view of the MERCEDES.

1905 -
The VROUWE NELE was another local vessel taking sight seeing trips around the fleet.

1934 -
Crossing under the Sheldt by a long pedestrian tunnel, we can look back at the Russian ship MIR (her name means Peace). Built at Gdansk in 1987, her design is based on the Polish DAR MLODZIEZY,. The Russians must have liked the design as they ordered five similar vessels as part of a trade exchange deal, the first of which was the DRUZHBA followed by the MIR.

1959 -
One of the highlights of the Tall Ship Races is the parade of ships crews and the awarding of various prizes. Here the crew of the KRUZENSHTERN make their way through the packed cobbled streets to the main square.

1987 -
A final shot, the Polish DAR MLODZIEZY which was delivered from the Polish Gdanska yard in 1982. She was followed by 5 similar vessels for Russia including the MIR seen earlier.

Set No. 2 - The Southampton Branch's Annual Solent Cruise, June 2010

1302 —
The annual Solent Cruise organised by the WSS Southampton Branch departed Ocean Village, Southampton on the 12th June 2010, The plan this year was to proceed out to the anchorage, visit Portsmouth and return to Southampton in time to see the departure of up to four visiting cruise ships.  Making our way down Southampton Water we pass a line of tugs at the pier head fore-most being the SVITZER MADELEINE of 1996, behind her lie SVITZER SARAH, SVITZER SUSSEX and SVITZER SURREY.

1315 —
Passing Fawley we view a number of tankers including the Singapore registered LPG tanker CHELSEA 7218/08.

1316 —
The 40700 dwt tanker ALAM BISTARI, second of two sisters, built in 2001 by Onimichi for the PACC group. Her sister was the ALAM BUDI. The same builders had previously delivered two similar vessels ALAM BELIA and ALAM BERKAT in1998.

1317 —
And the 127468 dwt shuttle tanker STENA ALEXITA.  Built in 1998 at Tadoyshu and owned by Stena Ugland, Norway.

1320 —
Arriving is the LEMONIA, a 15000 dwt tanker delivered to German owners Carl Buttner in 2009 but registered in Gibraltar.

1324 —
Overtaking us at speed is Red Funnel's  RED JET 3 on her way to Cowes on the Isle of Wight.  She was built at Cowes in 1998 by FBM Marine.

1325 —
The X-PRESS MATTERHORN was built by Volharding, Foxhol in 2004 as the ENFORCER for ms "Enforcer" Scheepvaartbedrijf CV, Harlingen.  Renamed X-PRESS MATTERHORN while on charter. Carries 750 TEU.

1329 —
In-bound in the Solent is the 51714 grt car carrier GRAN BRETAGNA owned by the Grimaldi Group, Built in Italy in 1999 with a capacity for 4650 cars.

1333 —
At the anchorage at the Eastern end of the Isle of Wight several tankers were seen awaiting a berth including the lgt KNIGHTSBRIDGE. She was delivered by Imabari to the same Singapore owners as the CHELSEA in 2009

1336 —
Also anchored is the MAINGAS a 3000 dwt liquid gas tanker built 2001.   On the 26th June 2004 she had a collision near Port Jerome in the River Seine with the ontainer ship MSC MEE MAY.  MAINGAS was in ballast and reported to have sustained a total blackout drifting across the container ship which received severe bow damage. There were no casualties.

1350 —
Entering Portsmouth we can make an interesting comparison between two preserved war-time MTBs. MTB 102 was built as a private venture by Vosper Ltd as a prototype fast torpedo boat amd purchased by the Royal Navy. With a top speed of 48 kts she was reckoned to be the fastest ship in the Navy. She was involved in the Dunkirk evacuation and later carried Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower on their review of ships assembled on the south coast for the D-Day landings. Sold after the war she was found in 1973 by a Norfolk Sea Scout troop who in 1995 handed her over to the MTB 102 Trust for preservation.   MTB 81 was commissioned in 1942 and later redesignated MTB 416. She saw extensive action and was also sold post war. In 1958 she was arrested at Shoreham for smuggling, sold to a Gosport scrap dealer who removed her engine and other fittings. She was then used by a number of owners as an accomodation hulk. In 1998 she arrived at Marchwood for a complete restoration taking several years.

1354 —
YORK is a Type 42C destroyer being16m longer than the earlier Type 42s. She was delivered by Swan Hunter, Wallsend in 1985.

1355 —
YORK is fitted with the new BAE Mk 8 Mod 1 4.5" "Electric Gun" which amongst other things has a reduced radar signature.

1360 —
SD RELIABLE arrived Portsmouth in late November 2009. She was the first of a group of STAN 2909 tugs,  Inside of her is sister SD BOUNTIFUL which SERCO Denholm had just taken delivery of in March 2010.  Both were part of a large order for new vessels placed by SERCO Denholm when they won the contract to service the RN. HMS INVINCIBLE is in the background.

1361 —
A bow on view of the new off shore patrol vessel PORT OF SPAIN.

1363 —
PORT OF SPAIN was intended to be the first of three offshore patrol vessels for the Trinidad and Tobago Navy. Seen here preparing for delivery. Later in 2010 BAE would announce that the Trinidad and Tobago Government had formally requested termination of the contract leaving BAE with the three OPV's to sell. PORT OF SPAIN was completing pre-acceptance work, SCARBOROUGH had completed sea trials and SAN FERNANDO was due to start sea trials in November 2010.

1367 —
It is hard to believe that the INVINCIBLE, first of her class, was delivered as long ago as 1980 by Vickers, Barrow. Her two sisters ILLUSTRIOUS and ARK ROYAL came from Swan Hunter, Newcastle.  INVINCIBLE was paid off in 2006 after a final appearance as flag ship of the T200 celebrations in the Solent.

1369 —
SOUTHAMPTON awaiting disposal is a Type 42B destroyer, she was delivered by Vosper Thorneycroft, Southampton in 1981.  On 4/9/88 she was heavily damaged in a collision with Tor Bay in the Gulf and had to be returned to the UK aboard the Mighty Servant I. She was repaired and modernised before returning to service in 1992.

1374 —
Wearing their Serco-Denholm livery are three former Felicity class naval tugs, GWENDOLINE P,  SD GENEVIEVE and SD HELEN.

1381 —
DAUNTLESS, second and latest of the Daring class destroyers for the Royal Navy.  She had only been commissioned the previous week on 3rd June.

1384 —
We slow down to allow the inbound Britanny Ferries NORMANDIE EXPRESS to pass , She has a capacity for 260 cars and 900 passengers. One of INCAT Australia's INCAT 97 class originally delivered as the INCAT TASMANIA in 2000 for use as the name implied on a Tasmanian Service.

1388 —
WIGHTLINK's ST. CLARE while not dissimilar from their earlier vessels was their first foreign built ferry. She was delivered by Gdansk in June 2001 and has capacity for 878 deck passengers.   WIGHTLINK is one of several companies that provide an intensive ferry service from mainland ports to the Isle of Wight.

1396 —
On the way back to Southampton we pass opposite Fawley we catch a view of the laid up British registered  JAKARTA TOWER.  Delivered in 2008 she is owned by Draypen Shg Ltd, Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd mgrs.

1411 —
Back in Southampton none of the cruise ships seem about to move so we proceed up towards the container terminal passing the new CELEBRITY ECLIPSE.

1428 — 
APL MINNESOTA on charter to American President Lines.  Delivered by Koyo, Mihara in 2008.  Note the American Eagle on the bow.

1435 —
VENTURA shows signs of moving so we make our way back down the port passing the laid up Belgian flagged 71000dwt LNG tanker METHANIA.

1445 —
VENTURA's stern as she pulls away from the quay.

1446 —
and a view of her cabins and funnel.

1453 —
VENTURA was delivered in 2008 the fourth of the class from Fincantieri, Montfalcone for P&O that started with CARIBBEAN PRINCESS.   She was named at Southampton on the 16th April 2008 by Dame Helen Mirren.  The champage bottles were broken on her hull by abseiling Royal Marine Commandos.

1457 —
VENTURA gathers speed as she proceeds down the Solent.

1462 —
Next to depart is the new CELEBRITY ECLIPSE delivered in April by Meyer, Papenburg. She is third of the SOLSTICE class with two more to follow.   She immediately hit the hitlines when on arrival at Southampton for her naming cremony she was instead diverted to repatriate 2200 British holidaymakers stranded in Bilbao as a result of the Eyjafjallajokull volcanic ash cloud.  She was finally named at Southampton on the 24th April.

1464 —
CELEBRITY ECLIPSE is followed by OCEANA which was delivered in 2000 as OCEAN PRINCESS, last of four sisters by Fincantieri for Princess Cruises.  Transferred to P&O Cruises she was renamed in a double ceremony with ADONIA, at Southampton in May 2003 by Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Phillips,the vessels leaving Southampton in tandem on 24th May.

1481 —
The fourth cruise ship SILVER WHISPER was not to leave until later so we have to be content with an alongside view.  Second of two sisters for Silversea Cruises, the other being SILVER SHADOW.  She was launched by Visentini, Donada and completed by Mariotti, Genova in 2001. She carries 388 passengers on top end luxury cruises. .

1482 —
However EDDYSTONE joined the procession. She is one of the Point class roro's on long term charter to the RFA. She was built at Flensburg in 2002 and her owners are  Andrew Weir Shg Ltd, London.

1507 —
The following day we went over to Hythe on the local ferry and took a bus to the pretty hamlet of Eling. More importantly it offers good views over the container terminal.

1508 —
Seen here is the new container ship OOCL LUXEMBOURG.

1510 —
and the same companies  OOCL QINGDAO which came from Samsung, Koje, in 2004. She can carry 8063 TEU.

1513 —
The  third vessel being discharged was Hapag Lloyd's new 93750 grt PRAGUE EXPRESS.

1529 —
Coming back on the Hythe ferry we were fortunate to catch the ARTEMIS sailing. She was delivered by Wartsila, Finland in 1984 as ROYAL PRINCESS, the first purpose built cruise ship for the P&O Group. Following transfer to P&O Cruises in 2005 and a refit at Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven she was renamed ARTEMIS.

1533 —
A final view of ARTEMIS as she disappears down Southampton Water.

Set No. 1 - Dordt in Stoom Steam Rally at Dordrecht, May 2010

0803 —
Every two years Europe's largest steam festival, Dordt in Stoom,  is held at Dordrecht. It includes all manner of steamships, trains, vehicles and fairground rides. Our main interest was in the veteran ships and on 28th May 2010 the first vessel we saw was the SUCCES decked in flags awaiting the evening parade that officially opens the festival. Originally built in Dordrecht over a hundred years ago, 1897 to be exact, as a Rhine tug.  In 1916 she became the SLEIPNER. In 1957 she became a tank cleaning vessel at Rotterdam and renamed SUCCES I. Sold for scrapping in 1976 she was rescued and completely rebuilt as a 1900's Zuider Zee steamer taking her original name. Again. She was also fitted at the time with auxiliary diesels as emergency back-up.

0814 —
As well as steam vessels, Dutch traditional sailing vessels were well represented, here the barge NEERLANDIA, built 1910, moves down the Wijnhaven in the historic inner harbour.

0824 —
The steam tug GEBR BEVER was originally the DOCKYARD III built for the Rotterdam Dockyard's own account. Launched in 1941 she lay sunk through-out the war and only entered service in 1946. Sold to Dordrecht owners in 1981 when she was renamed GEBR BEVER, a shortened form of GEBROEDERES BEVER.

0835 —
A sister of GEBR BEVER also built for the Rotterdam Dockyard's own account. Like her sister she also did not see service until 1946. Sold to Leiden owners in 1978 she has retained her name.  Now owned by Stichting Buitenmuseum Leuvehaven, Rotterdam.

0840 —
ELFIN is a very interesting vessel with strong British connections. She was built as HMS ELFIN by White, Cowes in 1934 as a torpedo recovery vessel and acted as tender to the depot ship HMS TITANIA and the 6th Submarine Flotilla based at Portland.  Renamed HMS NETTLE by the Royal Navy in 1941. Sold to Pounds, Portsmouth in 1957 presumably for scrapping they sold her on to the Amsterdam Drydock Company who named her DROOGDOCK 18 for use as a tank cleaning vessel.  In 1995 she was acquired by Stichting tot Behoud van het Stoomschip who restored her and give her back her original name.

0841 —
Alongside ELFIN lies the triple expansion, coal fired. steam tug ADELAAR. She was built as such at Haarlem in 1925. in 1965 she was renamed BOTLEK but reverted back to ADELAAR in 1973.

0842 —
VOLHARDING I was built at Hardinxveld in 1929 under this name but soon after in 1930 she was renamed HARMONIE VI not reverting back to VOLHARDING I until 1951.  Now owned by the Stichting Maritiem Buitenmuseum Leuvehaven, Rotterdam.

0847 —
The FINLAND was built as such at Slikkerveer in 1921 but has since been renamed a number of times for new owners and under charters. In 1976 she was sold to to D C Vastenhout, Rotterdam for restoration and gave her back her original name. She is now operated by the Stoomsrichting Nederland, Rotterdam.

0848 —
Another view of FINLAND.

0851 —
The SCHEELENKUHLEN moves away from her berth in the Wijnhaven. Unlike most of the other preserved tugs at Dordrecht she was built for German owners  Wasser und Schiffahrtsamt, Cuxhaven in 1927. She was employed as a tug and icebreaker on the Elbe around Cuxhaven. Withdrawn from service in 1974 she was sold two years later to Dutch shipbreakers. They resold her to Zaandam owners for preservation.  Currently owned by P Visser, Zaandam.

0852 —
It is a working day for the Netherland Government's buoy tender VLIESTROOM.  Her hull was built by Machinefabrik D E Gorter BV, Hoogezand and completed by Damen, Gorinchem in 1988.

0853 —
FINLAND and SCHEELENKUHLEN prepare to depart fom the Wijnhaven into the Oude Maas. In the background are some of the  scenic buildings that line the historic waterfront at Dordrecht, the Merkekade.

0856 —
More old buildings lie behind the ROEK in the Wijnhaven.   ROEK is another triple expansion, coal fired steam tug. She was built at Vlaadingen as the JACOMIEN in 1930, sold and renamed ROEK in 1960. Converted in 1970 to a motor tug she was restored back to steam in 1980 with a second hand engine and boiler.

0858 — 
 Y 8122 was built as a harbour tug SLEEPDIENST II at Den Helder in 1936 for the Royal Dutch Navy, Since then she has carried a number of names/pennant numbers but is now operated by a group of Dutch steam enthusiasts under her final naval name.

0860 —
The traditional sailing barge VROUWE JOZINA with mast lowered comes in from the river under the raised Dutch cantilever bridge at the entrance to the Wijnhaven. Over a hundred years old she was built at Hasselt in 1901.

0870 —
CHRISTIAAN BRUNINGS was built at Haarlem in 1900 as a harbour inspection vessel/ice breaker for the Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch State Waterworks). She has a composite engine, coal fired. Withdrawn in 1967, the following year she was donated to the Amsterdam Maritime Museum. Behind her are the VOLHARDING I and MAARTEN.

0872 —
The FURIE is probably the best known Dutch tug, not least due to her star-role as the JAN VAN GHENT in the Dutch TV series Hollands Glory.  Built as the GEBRS BODEWES VI at Martenshoek in 1916 she was sold to Swedish owners in 1918 as HOLMEN III. In 1969 she became the Swedish HOLMVIK before achieving fame as the JAN VAN GENT in 1976. Later that year on completion of the series she was sold and became the FURIE.  She is now owned by Stichting Hollands Glorie, based at the Dutch National Tug Museum, Maassluis.

0874 —
Berthed inside of FURIE is the ocean salvage tug HUDSON. Built in 1939 by P Smit Jr, Rotterdam for Smits International.  From June 1940 to 1944 she serve with the Royal Navy. Smits renamed her EBRO in 1962 before selling her for scrap in 1963. She was sold on to the Stellendam owners who used her as a local ice factory.  She is now based at the National Maritime Museum, Maassluis.

0879 —
JAN DER STERKE is another composite engine, coal fired steam tug.  Built as the Dutch SNEL in 1913, she was sold to Belgian owners in 1948 and renamed MARIETTE. After a spell under the West German flag she returned to Dutch owners in 1977 for restoration and was renamed HENDRINA II.  She was sold  to Gorcumse Stoomboot Stichting ' De Compound' Gorinchem and renamed JAN VAN STERKE in 1995

0896 — 
 Y 8122 takes up her postion in the parade.

0902 —
As does the ELFIN , the former Royal Navy  torpedo recovery vessel.

0904 —
It is not just steam tugs, the motor tug GEERTRUDA VAN DER REES (1979) tows a grain elevator into position.

0923 —
NOORDZEE moves into place, she was built in 1922 by Jansen, Hamburg for Blohm & Voss, as the sea going tug B & V XII.    Blohm & Voss, themselves shipbuilders, providing her original engine and boiler.  In 1959 she was sold Taucher Sievers, Cuxhaven and renamed TAUCHER SIVERS IV. In 1969 she moved on to Nordsee Co, Cuxhaven to handle their trawler fleet and  renamed NORDSEE.   In 1975 she was laid up at Zaandam where she was seen by C P Jongert who acquired her in 1977 for restoration.

0929 —
FURIE also moves into play as the light starts to decline. By now the river is becoming packed with steam tugs and other ships including a  long line of excursion vessels, old and new, down the centre being used as spectator grand-stands.

0932 —
JAN DER STERKE joins the throng.

0933 —
Probably the oldest tug attending, the ROSALIE was built in 1873 as the DEN BRIEL for the Dutch Ministry of War, Den Brielle.    On 1st April 1922 she had her moment of glory when used as a Royal yacht for the day.  Sold in 1924 to Schiedam owners she subsequently bore a number of names. In 1976 while still actively working she was renamed ROSALIE for the second time.  In 1980 she retired,  A potential sale in 1983 was not completed because the new Swiss owners were unable to transport the vessel by road because of low bridges and tunnels.  In 1987 she was sold to Enkhuizen owners where she is currently based.

0935 —
The tugs start to move up the river towards the bridge where they will turn and process down the other bank. FINLAND is nearest the camera.

0937 —
Followed by HUDSON under tow.

0947 —
The NOORD HINDER is moved off her berth by EN AVANT 4 to join in. She was the last light vessel to be built in Holland when delivered by De Wal, Zaltbommel in 1963 as LIGHTVESSEL No 12. Rebuilt in 1981 she was given a helipad. Finally withdrawn from service in 1994 and became a museum ship.  In the background is a grain elevator also under tow.

0952 —
The floating grab AHOY-25 under tow gulped up large quantities of water, releasing it just short of the crowds on the banks.

0964 —
Towards the end and there were far more vessels than shown here taking an hour to pass, the Dutch fire tender ZUID HOLLAND passes with hoses playing in the gathering dusk, again close enough to the crowds for some to move back.

0985 —
The following day the streets of Dordrecht were packed by visitors looking at the steam tugs, steam rollers, steam cars, steam carousels, steam trains and much more or listening to the many chanty sessions taking place. Nor were there any shortage of places to eat. Many visitors were able to take trips for a small fee on many of the steam tugs or go on board the other assembled vessels. One of these was the HERCULES built in 1915 by Bodewes, Martenshoek as the GEBRD BODEWES III for their own account but she was soon sold to the Danish Navy and renamed FEMAD and later FEMAD II in 1917. She was sold to private owners in 1964 but by 1979 she was derelict and stripped.  She was bought in 1979 by Enkhuisen owners for preservation and renamed HERCULES. Returned to steam she is a frequent vistor to steam rallies.

0986 —
ELFIN has been restored to her Royal navy role as Torpedo Recovery Vessel complete with torpedoes on deck.

1014 —
After fine weather all weekend, rain sets in late on Sunday and the streets began to clear. so we take one final shot of the MAARTEN before leaving.  She has  triple expansion, coal fired engines and was built in 1926 at Dordrecht as the COR-ADRI. In 1943 she became the HOLLAND, in the LUISSE in 1959 and the IDO III in 1967.  In 1970 she was purchased by D L H Smit, Kinderdijk for restoration at his yard and renamed MAARTEN. She is now operated by Stichting Stoomboot Maarten, Leeuwarden.

1108 —
The following day on the 30th May we have a grand-stand view as the Rotterdam Harbour Authorities RPA12 leads the QUEEN MARY 2 past our hotel at Vlaardingen.

1114 —
RPA 12

1121 —
The QUEEN MARY 2 proceeds down the New Waterway on her way from Rotterdam to the open sea.

1124 —
Funnel and balconies of the QUEEN MARY 2 as she passes the Delta Hotel almost close enough to touch.

1227 —
Next day, 31st May,  it is the turn of Saga's newly acquired SEA PEARL II.  Only a tenth the size of the QUEEN MARY 2 she was built as the ASTOR in 1981 for for Hapag Cruise Line, Hamburg later becoming ARKONA and ASTORIA.

1231 —
Just to show it is not all steam tugs and luxury liners, a view of the WILSON HOOK following the SAGA PEARL II down the New Waterway.  She was built as the German LENA KATHARINA by Sava, Macvanska Mitro in 2003.