VIC 56

Status: Steaming

Owner: Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust

Website: http://www.vic56.co.uk

Area: UK-Solent

Hull

Clyde ‘Puffer’. Construction: Steel.
Hull model: VIC class of steam coasting lighter (large) designed by Ministry of War Transport
Built 1945 by J. Pollock, Son & Co. Ltd. at Faversham
LOA: 85' 0", LWL: 80' 0", Beam: 20' 0",
Yard No.1840. Straight stem, round stern, aft saloon, fo’c’sle, wheel house, galley.

Boiler

VFT Built 1945 by Cochran & Co. Ltd. at Annan
Fuel: Coal or wood., Pressure: 120 psi,
143 Steel tubes.
condensing, engine driven pump, steam feed pump, whistle,
V shell, riveted, 7' dia, 143 horizontal fire-tubes 2¼" od. Oil fired (gas oil) with Laidlaw-Drew burners when acquired from MoD in 1978 and subsequently converted to coal firing. Pearn donkey fp.

Engine

Propeller

4 blades,

History

Built for MoWT, to Admiralty and launched 22.11.1945 and completed December 1945 at a cost of £17,613. Accepted and registered at London April 1946. Official number 180809. Sailed from Faversham to Rochester and then Rosyth via Yarmouth, Wells, Grimsby, Scarborough and Sunderland. Initially operated by J.Hay & Sons for Ministry of War Transport. In March 1947 transferred to Admiralty and allocated to Director of Victualling and to Victualling Stores officer, Rosyth. Required for Invergordon 1957 and for Minches Noise Range in 1960. By 1963 allocated to director of Armament Stores and based at Crombie (Firth of Forth) continuing in use until 1970s. In 1976 used as relief vessel when NAVs Flintlock or Catapult were in refit and advertised for disposal in 1978. Machinery particularly well maintained by Mr RE Drury (ex Chatham) a certificated engineer in the Port Auxiliary Service. Acquired for preservation November 1978 by Henry Cleary and steamed Rosyth to Rotherhithe (April - June 1979), hull and plant restored by owner with assistance of other steam preservationists including Bob Adam and team from Kerne. Steamed regularly mainly on trips in Thames Estuary and occasionally further eg Yarmouth, Ramsgate and in 1989 Vlissingen (Flushing). Ref: Sea Breezes, April 1991. From 1979 to 2005 berthed in London at, successively, the Greenland Entrance, Trinity Wharf, Rotherhithe and finally Trinity Buoy Wharf, London E 16. From 2006 berthed at Chatham Historic Dockyard, Kent ME4 4TE until October 2019 when gifted by Henry Cleary to Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust (Boathouse 4) and towed from Chatham to Portsmouth. On 21st November 2019 steamed for short trip around Portsmouth Harbour followed by stationary steaming in December 2019 for Dockyard Christmas Festival.

VIC 56 in Sea Reach, Alan Jenner

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