17 February 2016
Roughly a decade ago a vessel named ‘Shona H’ was abandoned and left to deteriorate at Shoreham Port. Over this period the Port has been unable to contact the owners about the boat’s condition. Shona H is an old timber fishing boat built around 1950.
Sadly it came to the point where there were concerns that the vessel may actually sink within the harbour unless urgent action was taken. The decision was then made that the boat would be taken to the dry dock, dismantled and with any parts with a future use salvaged.
Following its arrival into the dry dock, the bulk of the boat that sat above the waterline material was removed - inclusive of the internal mechanics. At this time the boat was floating at high level with the dock flooded.
Once this was completed the dock was then drained and the hull of the vessel laid to rest at the bottom of the dock. At this point a contractor was commissioned to complete the breakup and remove the remaining section of the boat’s hull.
Julian Seaman, Harbour Master/Director of Marine Operations commented “It’s a real shame, it was a beautifully built, largely timber vessel that would have been a great deep-sea fishing boat years ago. It was however very badly neglected and leaking heavily so we had no choice but to demolish it. Fortunately we have been able to either recycle or sell some of its parts, making best use of the boat in its final days.”
Rhys Hutchings, Senior Engineering Manager added “We are very lucky to have the dry dock facility to be able to carry out this sort of task. Being able to drain the dock enables us to access every part of a vessel. This is extremely useful for a number of jobs, from repairing and restoring vessels to dismantling vessels in conditions such as the Shona H.”
