PADDLE STEAMER 'FRESHWATER' AND THE TUG 'TIDWORTH'

Re PS Freshwater. The following information is from this website:Freespace.virgin.net/tom.lee/freshwaterimg.htm

Builders: J Samuel White & Co Ltd Cowes 1927. Propulsion type: Paddle compound diagonal. Owners: Southern Railway, Brighton and South Coast Steamers and others
Service dates: 1927 - 1961. Tonnage: Gross 264
PS Freshwater was built to replace PS Lymington on the Lymington to Yarmouth route. The Lymington River did not allow ships any larger than Freshwater to navigate at low water and as such she was of greater tonnage than any other vessel previously used on this route. She was unusual in that she did not have a bridge, being commanded from the wheelhouse. She finished her ferry duties in September 1959 and was sold for excursion use from Brighton for the 1960 season and was renamed Sussex Queen. She lasted only a year and was moved to Bournemouth, being again renamed, this time as Swanage Queen. Again her move was not successful and after further resale she was sold for scrap as she was considered too old to refurbish to modern standards.

I think the white yacht to the left was the "Dawn Approach"

I had a two week vacation from the Railway and went as stoker on the Sussex Queen. Hot work

My first thought about the tug was that it was the Tidworth, as she would often have been seen moored at this spot. Hauler does ring a bell, though. I'll have a look down at the Museum. She is definitely a wartime TID tug, but a quick check through the 'definitive' TID site doesn't show a TID being renamed Hauler. I'll look into it for you. Good TID site here: http://www.medwaymaritimetrust.org.uk/tidtugs/pages/tidlist.html And yes, that's Dawn Approach, still going strong, offering a touch of old fashioned cruising, AFAIK. Andy - Editor

To my knowledge the PS Freshwater was taken to Bristol in the early 70's with the intention of using her for tourist trips. However the owner (Oswald Burgess) couldn't raise sufficient funds and she was eventually scrapped. When Oswald died, I ended up with a few bits and pieces that were salvaged from the Freshwater, including a nice fold-away wash basin.

DG, I think you may be confusing Freshwater with Freshspring. Freshwater was scrapped in 1962. However, Freshspring, which was owned by Oswald Burgess and spent some time in Bristol has not been scrapped and is currently under restoration.

And just to tidy up my post from 2009(!), that's definitely Tidworth, before she had her enclosed bridge added.

Hauler was a smaller tug, and from a few decades earlier.