History
Ex Admiralty Victualling Inshore Craft VIC 96 was built for the Navy with economy in mind by Dunston of Thorne in South Yorkshire in May 1945. The VICs were built for the Navy (in order to service the fleet) on a design based on the Clyde Puffers. Use of simple machinery and simplicity of construction enabled a range of modest shipyards to produce VICs during the War making them quick and economic. Most plates have curvature in only one direction and the hull has straight rather than curved frames, there being an angled bilge. They could also run on indigenous fuel rather than scarce imported oil. VIC 96 has a 14ft high 7ft diameter coal fired Cochran boiler producing steam at 120 psi for a large Crabtree compound engine. The hull is 80ft long between perpendiculars, 85ft long overall and has a beam of 20ft. Working draught is about 7ft 6in. The cargo hold is 40ft 3in long. Originally she had an armoured wheelhouse.
Internally the design is traditional, there being a foc’sle crew space with 4 iron bunks, an after cabin for the Engineer and Master with 2 wooden cots, a tiny galley and a single head.
The propelling machinery consists of the Cochran boiler and Crabtree main engine. There is a steam winch-windlass mounted on the foc’sle and the engine room has a Worthington general service pump, a donkey pump and a reciprocating steam generator for the electrical supply. The engine is condensing, unlike a Puffer, and the auxiliaries (apart from the winch windlass) can also be exhausted through the condenser. The fore peak tank under the foc’sle holds 34 tons of fresh water and the coal bunkers on either side of the boiler have capacity for 8 tons each.
VIC 96 served at Sheerness Dockyard from 1946 to 1959 and then at Chatham Dockyard where she was known as C668 until August 1972. Sold out of the Navy, laid up in docks in the East End of London, sold to the steam ship Museum at Maryport and then sold again to Allerdale District Council, like so many redundant ships, VIC 96 suffered from broken and stolen fixtures and general deterioration. She even flooded and sank at her moorings and had to be pumped out and raised.
Unlike many relics of our maritime history, VIC 96 was fortunate to have been noticed by Martin Stevens who, having formed the Medway Maritime Trust, purchased her to prevent her being scrapped and then looked for ways of preserving her. Eventually in 2003, boiler maker and vintage restorer Julian Hopper together with his father in law, Derek Gransden, had a look at her. Both owned Sentinel steam waggons (lorries) and were no strangers to restoration. Derek got in touch with other like-minded Sentinel owners and their friends with preservation and fund raising in mind. An inaugural meeting of the initial group of 10 was held in Kent in autumn 2003. At the time it seemed a low key meeting but, in fact, several momentous decisions were made.
Fortunately, we were all of one mind: buy the ship, form a charitable trust, obtain charitable status and steam it to Chatham where it could become a working museum piece. With careful planning and budgeting as well as tremendous generosity on behalf of well wishers, family and friends, plans were put in motion that resulted in The VIC 96 Trust becoming a working charity dedicated to the preservation and restoration of this remarkable piece of maritime history. The original 10 members has been increased to 12 to provide a well balanced board capable of completing the full restoration of VIC 96 at Chatham.
As with all preservation projects, even with careful surveys and investigations, more work was found to be necessary. We had, of course, all decided that merely making the ship seaworthy for the trip to Chatham was not enough and our enthusiasm lasted throughout the 84 long weekends, the 800 mile round trips from the South East (where we all lived) to Maryport and the seemingly endless tasks.
Between 2004-2009 the ship was steadily rebuilt, refitted and repainted. At an early stage she was pulled out of the water on the slipway at Maryport and wasted plates were replaced. The propeller was taken off and used as a pattern for casting and fitting a new one. The ship was emptied of stores and debris and all machinery dismantled and much of it taken away for rebuilding. The boiler was found to be in excellent condition apart from some external rusting from water dripping onto it and only partial re-tubing was required.
Skilful Trust members, friends and family all worked to provide new structural components, a complete wheelhouse to replace the existing rotted one, replacement coalburning stoves for the foc’sle and after cabin, new components including the engine room telegraph, funnel and smokebox were manufactured. Dedicated carpentry ensured sound decks, bunks and seating. A complete new electrical system was installed using vintage components and paint was supplied. Well wishers were able to provide us with a new ships wheel and a binnacle and a new 70 year old stove for the galley which became the focus of hope and comfort during the long voyage home. Work was still continuing to fine tune the ship even during the voyage home including painting the superstructure.
The Trust had tremendous support from family, friends, Maryport locals and well wishers. Help and encouragement came in many forms, from Maryport harbour where Sheddy Simpson assisted with coaling operations, the Waverley Hotel which became our base during the 6 year restoration programme, and even from Cocketts Mattresses Group who provided new (and blissfully comfortable) mattresses.
Everyone became part of the team but the original group (augmented over the years) remained doggedly faithful to the project. Not all of them made the voyage back but, for the record, they are: Derek Gransden (skipper), Ian Woollett (chief engineer), Tony Slingsby, Simon Curling, Clare Curling, Julian, Joanna & Luke Swift, Frank Hazelhurst, Arthur Snell, Ron Bright, Jim Hatfield, Tony Baker and Julian Hopper - all given energy and encouragement from friends and family to keep going.
Jim Hatfield
Internally the design is traditional, there being a foc’sle crew space with 4 iron bunks, an after cabin for the Engineer and Master with 2 wooden cots, a tiny galley and a single head.
The propelling machinery consists of the Cochran boiler and Crabtree main engine. There is a steam winch-windlass mounted on the foc’sle and the engine room has a Worthington general service pump, a donkey pump and a reciprocating steam generator for the electrical supply. The engine is condensing, unlike a Puffer, and the auxiliaries (apart from the winch windlass) can also be exhausted through the condenser. The fore peak tank under the foc’sle holds 34 tons of fresh water and the coal bunkers on either side of the boiler have capacity for 8 tons each.
VIC 96 served at Sheerness Dockyard from 1946 to 1959 and then at Chatham Dockyard where she was known as C668 until August 1972. Sold out of the Navy, laid up in docks in the East End of London, sold to the steam ship Museum at Maryport and then sold again to Allerdale District Council, like so many redundant ships, VIC 96 suffered from broken and stolen fixtures and general deterioration. She even flooded and sank at her moorings and had to be pumped out and raised.
Unlike many relics of our maritime history, VIC 96 was fortunate to have been noticed by Martin Stevens who, having formed the Medway Maritime Trust, purchased her to prevent her being scrapped and then looked for ways of preserving her. Eventually in 2003, boiler maker and vintage restorer Julian Hopper together with his father in law, Derek Gransden, had a look at her. Both owned Sentinel steam waggons (lorries) and were no strangers to restoration. Derek got in touch with other like-minded Sentinel owners and their friends with preservation and fund raising in mind. An inaugural meeting of the initial group of 10 was held in Kent in autumn 2003. At the time it seemed a low key meeting but, in fact, several momentous decisions were made.
Fortunately, we were all of one mind: buy the ship, form a charitable trust, obtain charitable status and steam it to Chatham where it could become a working museum piece. With careful planning and budgeting as well as tremendous generosity on behalf of well wishers, family and friends, plans were put in motion that resulted in The VIC 96 Trust becoming a working charity dedicated to the preservation and restoration of this remarkable piece of maritime history. The original 10 members has been increased to 12 to provide a well balanced board capable of completing the full restoration of VIC 96 at Chatham.
As with all preservation projects, even with careful surveys and investigations, more work was found to be necessary. We had, of course, all decided that merely making the ship seaworthy for the trip to Chatham was not enough and our enthusiasm lasted throughout the 84 long weekends, the 800 mile round trips from the South East (where we all lived) to Maryport and the seemingly endless tasks.
Between 2004-2009 the ship was steadily rebuilt, refitted and repainted. At an early stage she was pulled out of the water on the slipway at Maryport and wasted plates were replaced. The propeller was taken off and used as a pattern for casting and fitting a new one. The ship was emptied of stores and debris and all machinery dismantled and much of it taken away for rebuilding. The boiler was found to be in excellent condition apart from some external rusting from water dripping onto it and only partial re-tubing was required.
Skilful Trust members, friends and family all worked to provide new structural components, a complete wheelhouse to replace the existing rotted one, replacement coalburning stoves for the foc’sle and after cabin, new components including the engine room telegraph, funnel and smokebox were manufactured. Dedicated carpentry ensured sound decks, bunks and seating. A complete new electrical system was installed using vintage components and paint was supplied. Well wishers were able to provide us with a new ships wheel and a binnacle and a new 70 year old stove for the galley which became the focus of hope and comfort during the long voyage home. Work was still continuing to fine tune the ship even during the voyage home including painting the superstructure.
The Trust had tremendous support from family, friends, Maryport locals and well wishers. Help and encouragement came in many forms, from Maryport harbour where Sheddy Simpson assisted with coaling operations, the Waverley Hotel which became our base during the 6 year restoration programme, and even from Cocketts Mattresses Group who provided new (and blissfully comfortable) mattresses.
Everyone became part of the team but the original group (augmented over the years) remained doggedly faithful to the project. Not all of them made the voyage back but, for the record, they are: Derek Gransden (skipper), Ian Woollett (chief engineer), Tony Slingsby, Simon Curling, Clare Curling, Julian, Joanna & Luke Swift, Frank Hazelhurst, Arthur Snell, Ron Bright, Jim Hatfield, Tony Baker and Julian Hopper - all given energy and encouragement from friends and family to keep going.
Jim Hatfield
