A BUSY HARBOUR

Plenty to see in the 1960's

By John Hills

Photo:Maid of Orleans

Maid of Orleans

Picture postcard

"Maid of Orleans" moored on the railway quay and the white yacht on this side  is the "Dawn Approach" a traditional wooden sailing ship built in Scotland, which was owned by Dr Firth an eminent surgeon in Guys Hospital, London. On the near landing stage with the fishing net draped over the rail, in the late 1960's was the working stage of the MFV "Margaret" skippered by Harry Boniface and the "Rosehearty", an ex Fraserburgh trawler, skippered by Jack Ennis.

 

Photo:Busy harbour scene

Busy harbour scene

Picture postcard

The RAF Pinnace 1390 leaving base, which was among one of the last "crashboats" stationed at the port, we can date this picture before 15th August 1965 as we can see the "Sheerlegs" are still standing, near the Marine Shops.

Looking at the general scene of the harbour it seems to have had plenty of traffic at this time.

This page was added by John Hills on 07/12/2020.
Comments about this page

Top picture, extreme left. Normannia is up outside the Marine Shops, immediately down from the swing bridge. So there was at least 13 or 14 feet of water there at low tide. More like 13 inches today!

Bottom photo: I can't make out the name of the ex Fairmile launch, converted to a pleasure 'steamer', moored alongside the Esso Seaford Bay fuel barge. Could it be John Mc Leod, perhaps?

Beyond her, up at the old coal wharf, is the suction dredger Ron Woolaway. I can't make out the name of the vessel heading up river towards the bridge, but it does look like another suction dredger.

Immediately below the Sheerlegs is an ex RFA/RMAS salvage vessel, no doubt then owned by the Newhaven based METREC company. Just down river, with the grey funnel, is the former boom defence vessel Barcroft, another one of METREC's acquisitions. Outboard of her is a TID tug, and with that funnel colour, I guess it has to be Tidworth. If so our date must be in the very early 1960s as Tidworth was sold to METREC in 1961 and converted to diesel not long after.

Somebody did ask me to explain METREC. As far as I know it was a 'trading' name for Mike Newton-Smith's company, Metal Recoveries Ltd.

 

By Andy Gilbert
On 08/12/2020
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