Million pound restoration of historic tug begins in Shoreham Port's dry dock

The

1931 built steam tug Challenge has been provided with a restoration grant of

almost £909,440 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.  The Challenge is owned by Dunkirk Little Ships

Restoration Trust and they have embarked on restoring the tug in Shorheam

Port’s dry dock. 

The

dry dock is well-equipped and provides a secure location for the initial

assessment of the tug. The Port’s experienced engineering team will be docking

the tug on Monday to enable the assessment of the tug to take place, including

the condition of the hull, thickness tests and removal of the rudder ensuring

the tug will remain water tight while the full restoration takes place. The tug

is expected to be docked for one week for the initial examination.

The

major re-fit has been scheduled for November and the Challenge will be back in

Shoreham Port’s dry dock for about a month. A key requirement for the Challenge

is the removal of the existing boiler. The boiler is over 3 metres long and 5

metres in diameter so a considerable amount of the superstructure will need to

be carefully removed and restored once the new boiler is fitted. Other essential

tasks to be undertaken include the restoration of the steam plant and the

updating of the electronic navigation equipment to modern safety standards.

After

completion of the works the Challenge is due to be permanently moved to

Southampton. The ultimate aim is for the tug to take part in the 75^th

anniversary commemorations of Operation Dynamo which saw some 330,000 allied

troops rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk.

Keith

Wadey, Assistant Port Engineer has over 30 years’ experience working and

managing Shoreham Port’s dry dock. He said that “we are delighted to have the

Challenge in and working on such a historic craft. Over the years we have

docked tugs, square rigged sailing vessels, yachts, trawlers, workboats and

small ferries, and provided a first class service each time.”

Shoreham

Port’s engineering team aim to remain flexible to all of their customers on

bookings and availability where possible. If you are interested in using the

dry dock facility at Shoreham Port or have any questions then please contact

one of the team on 01273 598100. Alternatively for further information on

Shoreham Port’s dry dock please visit the Port’s dry

dock web page.