Maryport
Former Clyde Shipping tug/tender 'Flying Buzzard' (perhaps the last steam tug built for use on the Clyde), built by Fergusons at Port Glasgow, 1951, ingloriously run down and sunk by her tow (a tanker) in the river off Dumbarton, 1952. Raised and repaired, she carried on working on the Clyde then at Dundee thereafter. She arrived at Maryport in Cumbria during 1983 and was part of the maritime museum there for 20 years, but when that closed she was purchased by Julie Jessop and Mike Nelder, who had visions of sailing her to Vancouver (why there I never found out!) and set about converting her for that voyage, bearing in mind her boilers had been removed so 'new' main engine and gearbox had to be fitted. Vessel photographed in the outer harbour at Maryport, 01 August, 2007, having been moved out from the wet basin to allow yours truly to visually survey the hull (which was in excellent overall condition due to all those years in almost fresh water in the Clyde and Tay estuaries). She eventually sailed from Maryport in December, 2008 and was seen, again by yours truly, in Trinidad, 15 November, 2009, the extension of the voyage to Vancouver having been temporarily put on hold. As far as is known, at the start of 2016 she was still in the Caribbean, having never gone any further (we can only surmise that Mike and Julie liked the Caribbean and decided to stay – why ever not!).
Location: Maryport
Original line: Maryport and Carlisle Railway
Photographer: Robert Blane
Contact photographer: Robert Blane
Date: 01/08/2007
Image number: 54080
Other photographs of Maryport on RailScot
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