I crossed world to see shipyard

Lorraine Tinney • Published 14 Aug 2010 14:00

A MARINE engineer from Down Under, who rescued a historic steamship from being scrapped, has travelled half way across the world to visit the Port Glasgow yard where she was built.

New Zealander Bruce Carr was thrilled to get the chance to visit Ferguson Shipbuilders, which built the vintage steam tug - originally named Canterbury - in 1907.

He says it is a testament to the high standard of craftmanship that it is still a working boat today and taking passengers on public cruises and chartered sails for weddings and other events, around the harbour area of Lyttelton, near the city of Christchurch.

Bruce, 79, who is patron of the Tug Lyttelton Preservation Society, said: “It’s been a pleasure to see where the tug was built.

“The fact that the boat is still going 103 years later is a testament to Port Glasgow shipbuilding.”

The Lyttelton Harbour Board placed an order with the Ferguson Brothers for the construction of a twin-screw tug at their Newark Shipyard. The tug sailed from the Clyde for her new home port on 2 June 1907, making the journey of over 12,000 miles under her own steam.

Bruce said: “It took the tug 63 days, stopping at Algiers, Port Said through the Suez Canal and Aden on to Colombo, Fremantle and Melbourne en route, arriving at Lyttelton on 10 September 1907.”

The engineer was invited on a tour of the yard by retired Ferguson’s worker John McAndrew, who has visited the enthusiast in his native New Zealand several times, and the men have formed a firm friendship based on their passion for steamships.

Bruce, who was the principal surveyor of ships for Christchurch Marine Department, was responsible for the maintenance of the boat, and helped to set up the society in the 1970s when the harbour board wanted to transfer to diesel tugs.

As a chief engineer, Bruce has ‘stood by’ at ship launches all over the world and says the reputation of British ships are second to none.

John added: “The tug shows the Clyde-built reputation is still very much to the fore.”

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 14 Aug 10

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