RON WOOLAWAY

Sand dredger from the 1960's.

By Andy Gilbert

Photo:Ron Woolaway at the sand and gravel wharf, West Quay.

Ron Woolaway at the sand and gravel wharf, West Quay.

Kind permission of Mr E Cole

This picture of the sand dredger Ron Woolaway appeared on the Ships Nostalgia website a couple of days ago and I'm grateful to 'shipmate 17' and the photographer, Mr E Cole, for permission to share it here.

Ron Woolaway was part of the Newhaven furniture during the 1960's, usually to be seen as she is here, at the sand and gravel wharf on the West Quay near the Ark pub (what used to be called the coal wharf).

She was originally built as a coaster but soon converted to a suction dredger. Alas the conversion made her unstable and she capsized in the Bristol Channel on her first trip. Rescued by her sister ship Stan Woolaway and local tugs, she was towed to safety, then righted and repaired, with large stabilizing sponsons being added to her hull.

Her career at Newhaven and along the South Coast lasted many years after that.

This page was added by Andy Gilbert on 11/07/2012.
Comments about this page

She appeared briefly docked in Amsterdam I believe in the film 'Puppet on a Chain' - 1970

By Anthony edgecombe
On 15/03/2015

One of the cranes loading the Ron Woolaway is a Neil unit crawler crane very very rare indeed it was brought by the members of the Newhaven Deep Sea Anglers Club based in Piddinghoe in the early 1970's. As young boy I was allowed to stand behind the driver in the cab and watch him clear silt from around the jettys, the drivers name was Ray and he was an excellent crane driver. I used to go fishing with my dad from there for years. Brilliant pictures if you have any more of the cranes I would be really interested.

By Jamie Hartley
On 22/11/2015
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