ST Cervia facts for kids
ST Cervia was built in 1946 as a powerful tugboat. She was made by Alexander Hall & Company Ltd in Aberdeen, Scotland. Today, she is a floating museum ship that is still being restored in Ramsgate, Kent.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Name |
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| Owner |
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| Port of registry | London |
| Builder | Alexander Hall & Company Limited, Aberdeen, Scotland. |
| Yard number | YN709 |
| Laid down | 1945 |
| Launched | 21 January 1946 |
| Completed | 1946 |
| Identification |
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| Status | Floating museum ship, under restoration |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Empire tug |
| Tonnage | 233 GRT |
| Length | 112 ft 8 in (34.34 m) overall |
| Beam | 27 ft 4 in (8.33 m) |
| Draught | 11 ft 7 in (3.53 m) |
| Depth | 27 ft 4 in (8.33 m) |
| Installed power | 1,000 Bhp, triple-expansion oil-fired steam engine by builder, Boiler, Scotch Return Tube. |
| Propulsion | Screw propellor |
Contents
- Building the Cervia: A Wartime Design
- The History of the Cervia Tugboat
- The Cervia as a Museum Ship
- Images for kids
Building the Cervia: A Wartime Design
The Cervia was designed based on an older type of steam tug called the Foremost class from 1923. Britain needed to quickly replace ships lost during World War II. Using proven designs saved time and helped rebuild the fleet faster.
Why an Old Design?
The Cervia, originally named Empire Raymond, was part of a plan to build ships for D-Day, also known as Operation Overlord. This was the big invasion of Europe. Even though she was planned for the war, she was finished after it ended.
Special Features for War
The tug was built with features meant for wartime. She had a strong, armored wheelhouse and places for guns. She weighed over 350 tons and had a powerful 1,000 horsepower triple-expansion steam engine. Her boiler used oil, but it could be quickly changed to burn coal.
The Empire Ships
Ships ordered by the British government during the war were given the name Empire. This was like the "Liberty ship" program in the United States. The Cervia is believed to be the last Empire Ship still around in the United Kingdom.
The History of the Cervia Tugboat
The Cervia was launched on January 21, 1946, from the Alexander Hall and Co. Ltd shipyard in Aberdeen, Scotland. She was given to the Ministry of War Transport. In December 1946, she was sold to William Watkins Ltd, a towing company, for £36,000.
How the Cervia Got Her Name
In 1947, Empire Raymond was renamed Cervia. This name came from an Italian holiday spot where the Watkins family had a villa. An earlier tug owned by William Watkins also had this name. That tug helped rescue 230 soldiers during the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940.
Working Life of the Tugboat
When she was still called Empire Raymond, the tug helped change the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth from a troop ship back into a passenger liner. As Cervia, her main job was towing and salvage work between ports in the UK and Europe.
Helping Ships in Ramsgate
When based in Ramsgate, the Cervia often helped free ships stuck on the Goodwin Sand Banks. These sand banks are off the coast of East Kent, near Ramsgate and Deal. She worked in this area for 60 years.
A Serious Accident: The Capsize
On October 25, 1954, the Cervia was working at Tilbury Docks in London. She was helping the P&O liner Arcadia leave the dock. The Arcadia suddenly sped up to avoid hitting another ship. This caused a big wave that pulled the Cervia over, making her capsize and sink.
Rescue and Recovery
Despite their brave efforts to release the towing rope, Captain Russell and five crew members of the Cervia died. Another tug, Challenge, saved three crew members. An investigation found that the accident was caused by a quick-release pin on her towing hook failing. On October 28, the Cervia was pulled from the River Thames riverbed. She was taken to Claxton’s Ltd in Ramsgate for repairs and then returned to service.
New Owners and Changes
On January 27, 1969, while Cervia was working on the Thames, her owners joined with another company to form the London Tug Company. This new company planned to replace steam tugs with modern diesel ones. By 1971, the Cervia was put out of service at Sheerness.
A New Life for Cervia
In April 1973, a man named Michael List-Brain bought the Cervia for £3,500. He wanted to save her. The tug was repaired and was working again by the summer.
The Medway Maritime Museum Idea
Mr. List-Brain used the Cervia for pleasure trips on the River Medway. The idea was for her to become part of a new "Medway Maritime Museum." However, in 1974, the plans failed because there wasn't enough money.
Back to Work: Towing in the North Sea
With no museum income, List-Brain and Martin Stevens decided to put the Cervia back to work. At this time, companies were looking for gas and oil in the North Sea. This was a great chance for the Cervia to earn money again.
First Contract
In November 1974, the Cervia towed a crane barge to the Humber for a construction company. She completed the job without problems. However, because of the high cost of getting her ready and not fully understanding the business, the profit from this first job was only £7.00.
International Towing Ltd (ITL)
After the first job, List-Brain and Stevens decided to make their towing business more professional. They hired a skilled crew. In 1975, the Cervia successfully completed several more towing jobs around the UK coast. She proved to be very reliable.
Growing the Business
The business grew so much that they formed a company called International Towing Ltd (ITL). ITL added three more steam tugs to its fleet: ST Hercules, ST Hero, and ST Goliath.
Cervia Returns to Ramsgate
Like her previous owners, International Towing Ltd chose Ramsgate as their main port. This helped the local economy, bringing more ship repair work to the harbor. The Cervia and the other tugs were very busy with jobs in the North Sea and along the coast.
Expanding the Fleet
In early 1977, ST Hercules and ST Hero were returned to the Medway Maritime Trust. But ITL's business kept growing, becoming an international operation thanks to the hard work of Cervia and her sister tugs. By 1978, Cervia and Goliath were joined by more modern, powerful diesel tugs.
Cervia's Last Commercial Job
By the 1980s, ITL's fleet included some of the most powerful tugs in the world. The company was eventually sold. The Cervia continued working for ITL until 1983. Her last job was to act as a port tug for a new cross-channel ferry service in Ramsgate. However, this ferry service did not run regularly, so the contract ended. The Cervia was then put into storage at Ramsgate Royal Harbour.
Cervia in Books and Films
After her working life, the Cervia found a new role as a film location. She appeared in an episode of the BBC comedy series Ripping Yarns called The Curse Of The Claw, starring Michael Palin. She was also used in the 1976 BBC film Rogue Male, with Peter O'Toole. In 1986, she was the subject of a children's book called Cervia the Steam Tug, written by Roger Ian Sacks. This book helped support the East Kent Maritime Trust's Ramsgate Maritime Museum.
The Cervia as a Museum Ship
In July 1985, the Cervia was loaned to the Ramsgate Maritime Museum, which is run by the East Kent Maritime Trust. She was moved to moorings in John Smeaton's Historic Dry Dock. Money was then found to restore the Cervia.
Restoration and Royal Visit
She was repainted to look like she did when she worked for William Watkins. A new mast was added, and her crew areas were fixed up to become museum displays. In 1986, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visited the Cervia. For her 50th birthday, an engineer named John Vineer helped get the tug's 1,000 horsepower engine working again. The Cervia became a main attraction of the 'Historic Harbour' area.
An Uncertain Future
The East Kent Maritime Trust tried to get funding to restore both the Smeaton's Dry Dock and the Cervia. They hoped for money from places like the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. However, this project has been put on hold. The Steam Museum Trust now hopes to start a separate project just to restore the tug.
A Rare Survivor
The ST Cervia is currently moored in Ramsgate harbor. She is a very rare ship, being the last seagoing steam tug still in UK waters. She was also the last one to work commercially.
Images for kids
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The Cervia in Ramsgate Harbour
