PS Ryde

Cost of moving a large loco from A to B is approx £2000- £3000.
Cost of moving shipwreck from riverbank to dry dock - multiply above by at least 100 times.
The ship would need to be released from the mud. As she is holed she obviously would not float & would need lifting. It is unlikely that a floating crane of sufficient capacity could get near her. The only solution would be to cut her into sections & place the sections on a barge. There would be no guarantee that further structural damage would occur during the lifting operation. There is then the requirement for a suitable dry dock for quite a long period of time. As there is not much dry dock availability in the U.K. the cost of this would be quite high.I think I've just spent a million without even starting work !

Bob.

 

You have spent more

The cost of getting a similar, and floating, heritage vessel out on a pontoon and emergency plating alone has been estimated at £1.5m in the past few months - the Ryde - just think more - lots more.

And you still haven't got a berth, a business plan, or a rebuild.

She's gone in all reality - she's gone.

 

Well said Bob . . .

Now about Compton Castle ;-)

 

Its just as well this same "let her go" attitude wasnt adopted by those folks saving "another" wreck from Barry as I fear if there was the preserved railway scene woudl be totally different.

Who says Ryde is too far gone, an engineers report seems to suggest otherwise, what is it with some folk supporting scrapping of our heritage? surely they cannot be ship lovers.

I could certainley think of lot worse ways of spending money than restoring Ryde.

Why are some people so against saving her??

 

I'm not saying that the Ryde can be saved but I can remember when we were raising funds to rescue 34081 from Barry. We were told that the world didn't need another Bulleid. There was the prospect of a working WC at the Bluebell and 34051 was there to represent the BBs. We were also told that we should divert our efforts into another loco that was "worth saving." I'm sure other loco owners can recount similar tales. I we had all heeded this "sound advice" the heritage railway scene would be a lot different today. Good luck to those who want to save the Ryde.

 

Just to explain a bit of naval architecture in simple terms - The worst stresses ever put on a ship's hull are launching & dry -docking. When dry-docking a ship the keel blocks are set up to distribute the ship's weight without the hull sagging (although some movement will occur). When the ship is afloat in water, the water obviously supports the hull. Put the ship on a mudflat & she is subject to undulations in the mudflat, tidal action etc. I can't see how a marine surveyor could say that she is retrievable with the ship in this position.

Bob.

 

Perhaps too many 'Barry Wrecks' were saved, there seem to be quite a few still waiting funds and many restored loco's now out of ticket awaiting funds . . . .

I'd like nothing more than to see a fleet of Paddle Steamers around our coastline but the figures just don't add up. The one we have managed to save scrapes by from season to season. It’s a shame she’s not the Cardiff Queen but I’m grateful for what we have!

Lincoln Castle is perhaps a more viable 'Ryde' if we really want another 'coastal paddler' but she too is pretty much stuck in her present location allbeit in better condition that Ryde . . I think all that can come out of an effort to save Ryde is another replica paddler along the lines of Medway Queen. Ryde herself is gone . . sad but true!

It is however pleasing to see so much interest from members on this site about Ryde. Perhaps Steam Railway will promote other ships with railway heritage going forward and give maritime heritage some more exposure . . .

If we really want something unique in the way of paddle powered craft lets throw efforts towards the John H Amos, the last paddle tug in the UK or perhaps Eppleton Hall which appears somewhat unloved on the other side of the pond! God knows what the restoration costs to full working order for either would be but I reckon for the 2 you’d come in under the cost to rebuild ‘another’ coastal paddler and give us something unique in our maritime heritage fleet. Our National Maritime Museum sadly removed one paddle tug form our preserved list not too many years ago . . . . how would the railway preservation movement have reacted if the NRM scrapped a loco!!

Ships come second best in preservation sadly . . .

 

Then its down to us "enthusiast" to try and change things. Perhaps we can all start off by at least supporting those groups etc who are at least having a go trying to save vessels.

One only has to look at the National historic ships register to see exactly how bad things are and what other ships although "designated" as being historic will get broken.

We cannot just sit back simply watching them all go. To me things are now worse than they were 10 years ago.

Jim S

 

Indeed Jim, I am a member of a number of Maritime Preservation Societies and actively involved with 2 vessels on the NHSR. Whilst we can't sit back and watch them all go we have to face facts with a number of vessels hanging on are beyond economic repair.

I mentioned the John H Amos in an earlier post, I have since been informed this vessel is expected to cost £6-8 million to restore. Gives you some idea how far off the Ryde figures are . . .

 

Scrapping rumoured to be underway on PS Lincoln Castle. Can anyone confirm?

 

I heard this tonight as well. Earlier this week I posted to watch out for bad news from the north east - it looks like it is on its way. The embryonic new preservation group had called a meeting on Saturday morning including PSPS reps. I was told that people were on the way to Grimsby this evening to verify the position

The fact is that the owner is over seventy, and needs out. Its either sell or scrap and the budget to simply pick her up intact where she lies was recently set at £1.5m and all that did was lift her out of the water where she lies and put her back in watertight - no other restoration, berthing, or long term plan was in prospect even if that sum had been findable

We need a Branson, Hoskins, or Waterman character quick, or this time it is curtains

 

Any news on the PS Ryde as in cant find anything anywhere??!!!!!

 

I also am sad to see the number of historic ships shrink inexorably, but it seems there is far more money needed and far fewer people prepared to provide it compared to railway projects. I was amazed that the Seiont II which was afloat and complete went for scrap, with only a few weeks notice. The Ryde, it should be obvious, is way beyond help. I suppose the best comparison is not to a whole steam locomotive but to a vast boiler - and one half buiried in mud and seawater at that. You might as well try to recover the Stanier 2-8-0's on the Thistlegorm.

Is there a central maritime preservation co-ordination body like the railways have? If not, it certainly seems to be needed.

 

Any news on PS Ryde anyone?

 

No news other than her engines are protected with tarpaulins.

Seems someone cares for them.

Stan

 

In the Great Railway journeys Michael Portillo goes to the former Dennys Shipyards where Ryde was built. You can see the episode here. Clearly not much left of the shipyard today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDQiaHThTi8&feature=related

 

I'm hoping to pop over the Solent to photograph what's left of PS Ryde in the next few days while on another mission!

I'll be going via service bus between Cowes & Newport. Wondering if anyone has advice - eg is the marina area open to the public, will I be able to take reasonable piccies without trespassing?, and (as I've been had once or twice at remote locations) any aggressive dogs in the vicinity?!!

 

Went in 2010 and there was free access to photograph, but a fence had been erected as the hull looks a dangerous place. Access to both sides, photos through chain link fence. No "No Trepassing" notices that we could see except on the fencing just round the hull, which had "Danger Keep Out" signs.

May have changed since, but we just drove down to the Marina and parked right by PS Ryde. I would guess that buses run to the access road to the caravan park on the way to the Marina, and you will have a fair walk down to the Marina.

John