MV Edmund Gardner facts for kids

MV Edmund Gardner is a special kind of ship called a pilot cutter. She was built for the Liverpool Pilot Service right after the Second World War. After almost 30 years of helping ships, she became a museum ship at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

A Ship's Working Life

Building the Edmund Gardner

The Edmund Gardner was ordered in July 1951. She was needed to replace older, steam-powered pilot ships that were getting too old. She was one of three new ships, and each was named after a past chairman of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. Her sister ships were called Thomas Brocklebank and Arnet Robinson.

The ship was built by a company called Philip and Son in Dartmouth. She was launched into the water on 9 July 1953. The Edmund Gardner started her work on the Mersey River on 2 December 1953.

What a Pilot Cutter Does

The main job of the Edmund Gardner was to be a floating home for pilots. These pilots are experts who guide large ships safely into and out of the Mersey River. The ship would stay at different places, like the Liverpool Bar or Point Lynas in Anglesey.

While on duty, the Edmund Gardner would meet ships coming into the Mersey. She would transfer a pilot to the incoming ship to guide it to the Liverpool Docks or the Manchester Ship Canal. She also picked up pilots from ships leaving the river. The Mersey was very busy back then! For example, on one day in 1960, she helped 16 ships in just eight hours.

A Small Incident

During her 28 years of service, the Edmund Gardner had only one small accident. In 1963, she had a minor bump with a ship called Iron Horse. Luckily, she wasn't badly damaged.

Becoming a Museum Ship

Retirement and Preservation

In April 1981, the Edmund Gardner finished her service. The next year, she was bought by a museum. She is one of only two pilot ships saved for people to visit. Today, you can find her in the Canning Graving Dock. This is right next to the Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

The Dazzle Ship Project

In 2014, the Edmund Gardner became a "dazzle ship". This was an art project organized by the Imperial War Museum. The ship was painted with a special design by an artist named Carlos Cruz-Diez.

The design was inspired by "dazzle camouflage" from the First World War. This type of camouflage used bold, confusing patterns to make it harder for enemies to tell a ship's size, speed, and direction.