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Who bought the vessel "VASSAL"?

tony collins

By tony collins
in General Boating

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tony collins Rising Star

tony collins

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Does anyone know the whereabouts or the owners of the above mentioned tug? Apparently she is a thames "tosher" dock tug,built in 1938 ,L 42 ft,B 10 ft, D 5 ft ,and of a low profile in appearance.

 

We have had an enquiry on our website regarding her as it is thought that someone in the Coventry area has bought her with a view to restoring her.

 

Please PM me if you know. An open forum is not the place for personal information like this which may not necessarily need to be made public.

 

Tony.

 

BTW Does anyone know what a "Tosher" Tug is, I wonder if there is a typo there somewhere. However with a 10ft bean, maybe not.

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MoominPapa Veteran II

MoominPapa

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A "Tosher" is nautical slang for a thief who steals copper sheathing, from boats, whilst in dock, btw.

..... and also for someone who scavenges in the sewers, especially in London.

 

It's no wonder I keep forgetting mundane stuff, my brain is full of all this useless knowledge!

 

MP.

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tosher Community Regular

tosher

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Perhaps I've picked a bad user name as I am not active in any of the dastardly deeds mentioned above. It's a name I was called as a boy by all my family but my mother did have lots of copper ornaments around the house come to think off it !!!! tosher.

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PaddingtonBear Rising Star

PaddingtonBear

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Absolutely no offence intended, I just thought that having stripped off the copper sheathing they would quickly slosh some pitch or paint over the hull and hope that no one noticed. A bit like the thieves that stole the manhole covers local to me and then covered the holes with blue tarpaulins.

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johnthebridge Proficient

johnthebridge

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Yes the Thames Dock tugs (and the Medway, I believe) are traditionally known as Toshers.

Sorry, I meant is "Vassal" her original name.

My brother in law has a Thames tug, built by Pollocks' of Faversham. He's had her for many years, and I've never heard her called a Tosher. You learn something new every day! She's always been listed as a "Launch tug", which is all I've ever known her as. Ever heard that expression?

Edited by johnthebridge
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johnthebridge Proficient

johnthebridge

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Does anyone know the whereabouts or the owners of the above mentioned tug? Apparently she is a thames "tosher" dock tug,built in 1938 ,L 42 ft,B 10 ft, D 5 ft ,and of a low profile in appearance.

 

We have had an enquiry on our website regarding her as it is thought that someone in the Coventry area has bought her with a view to restoring her.

 

Please PM me if you know. An open forum is not the place for personal information like this which may not necessarily need to be made public.

 

Tony.

 

BTW Does anyone know what a "Tosher" Tug is, I wonder if there is a typo there somewhere. However with a 10ft bean, maybe not.

I've found that Vassal is her original name, IF she's one of the Pollocks' of Faversham tugs.

If she is, then she's a sister-ship to my brother in laws' boat, built in the same year. As she's 10' plus beam, and draws 5', it's unlikely she's actually in the Coventry area.

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
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No relation to Toshua Fellows, then? A tosher was slang for a half-crown; as the coin is now obsolete, so is the word. Perhaps a suggestion these craft were cheaply built?

I'm very impressed by the reference to her "ten foot bean". This must have won first prize at Faversham Horticultural Show.

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tony collins Rising Star

tony collins

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I've found that Vassal is her original name, IF she's one of the Pollocks' of Faversham tugs.

If she is, then she's a sister-ship to my brother in laws' boat, built in the same year. As she's 10' plus beam, and draws 5', it's unlikely she's actually in the Coventry area.

 

Thanks for that John. I never imagined that she would be moved to Coventry, merely that the person who owned her was from/lived near Coventry. After all we all know someone who lives in Rugby which is about as far from the sea as you can get, now has a boat which he keeps on the Essex marshes. - Don't we Carl? For that matter we have at least three boats in our basin where the owners live over 100 miles away.

 

I imagine she is up a backwater on the Thames somewhere.

 

Tony :lol:

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johnthebridge Proficient

johnthebridge

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Posted (edited)
Thanks for that John. I never imagined that she would be moved to Coventry, merely that the person who owned her was from/lived near Coventry. After all we all know someone who lives in Rugby which is about as far from the sea as you can get, now has a boat which he keeps on the Essex marshes. - Don't we Carl? For that matter we have at least three boats in our basin where the owners live over 100 miles away.

 

I imagine she is up a backwater on the Thames somewhere.

 

Tony :lol:

Yeah, sorry Tony, as I didn't know who I was talking to I had no way of judging your "seaworthiness"! Do you know any more about her? What state she's in, engine, upperworks etc? All I can tell you is she was Pollocks' Ship (build) number 1684, 60 horse Widdop (not still in her, I bet?), launched 6/38 and delivered the following month. A launch tug, for use on the London River.

(All gen.from the Pollocks' book, "A Sideways Launch", by Anne Salmon, 1992). My brother in laws' boat has a 120 horse Ford in her, and she slides along a treat against Severn in flood.

Nice!

Edited by johnthebridge
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Jason Wilson and Family Proficient

Jason Wilson and Family

Posted
Posted (edited)
Yeah, sorry Tony, as I didn't know who I was talking to I had no way of judging your "seaworthiness"! Do you know any more about her? What state she's in, engine, upperworks etc? All I can tell you is she was Pollocks' Ship (build) number 1684, 60 horse Widdop (not still in her, I bet?), launched 6/38 and delivered the following month. A launch tug, for use on the London River.

(All gen.from the Pollocks' book, "A Sideways Launch", by Anne Salmon, 1992). My brother in laws' boat has a 120 horse Ford in her, and she slides along a treat against Severn in flood.

Nice!

 

I recently purchased a vassal named Vessel... but I suppose that doesn't really help.

 

 

 

 

*coat + hat + door*

Edited by Jason Wilson and Family
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  • 7 months later...
ThamesBen Gongoozler

ThamesBen

Posted
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I too am looking for this tug named VASSAL! I have now been told shes in the Great Manchester area? Someone must know where she is...

 

VASSAL

sisterships: (J. Pollock's Jubilee class) WIDDOP, JAYMAR, SWIFT, VARLET, SWALLOW, VASSAL, SAMADEN, LUKA, TAFO, FREDERICK PETERS, KWAMI, KOFI, PANDA, PANKO)

13 GRT, 1 NRT, (41'(38.4')x10.5'x4.2'(5.3'))

1 scr, diesel 2cyl Widdop, 60bhp

re-engined 19xx diesel, 120bhp

 

VASSAL

1938: Built by "James Pollock Sons & Co Ltd" at Faversham (GBR) (YN 1684)

1938: delivered to "Vokins & Co Ltd" at London (GBR)

1975: To "Thames & General Lighterage Ltd" at London (GBR)

1980: To "Cory Lighterage Ltd" at London (GBR)

1982: To "General Marine" at London (GBR), renamed VASSEL

2006: Spotted at Bow Creek entrance owned by ??

2008: Sold to ??

 

Heres a photo of her in early 2008 before she was sold and vanished and a photo of her originally

 

normalshipphotovassal.jpg

normalvassel.jpg

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  • 3 months later...
Adam Community Regular

Adam

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Posted
I too am looking for this tug named VASSAL! I have now been told shes in the Great Manchester area? Someone must know where she is...

 

VASSAL

sisterships: (J. Pollock's Jubilee class) WIDDOP, JAYMAR, SWIFT, VARLET, SWALLOW, VASSAL, SAMADEN, LUKA, TAFO, FREDERICK PETERS, KWAMI, KOFI, PANDA, PANKO)

13 GRT, 1 NRT, (41'(38.4')x10.5'x4.2'(5.3'))

1 scr, diesel 2cyl Widdop, 60bhp

re-engined 19xx diesel, 120bhp

 

VASSAL

1938: Built by "James Pollock Sons & Co Ltd" at Faversham (GBR) (YN 1684)

1938: delivered to "Vokins & Co Ltd" at London (GBR)

1975: To "Thames & General Lighterage Ltd" at London (GBR)

1980: To "Cory Lighterage Ltd" at London (GBR)

1982: To "General Marine" at London (GBR), renamed VASSEL

2006: Spotted at Bow Creek entrance owned by ??

2008: Sold to ??

 

Heres a photo of her in early 2008 before she was sold and vanished and a photo of her originally

 

normalshipphotovassal.jpg

normalvassel.jpg

 

The boat is now located in Wakefield.

 

The owner has requested that you contact him. I have PM'd you his number

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  • 1 month later...
Sailpower Gongoozler

Sailpower

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The boat is now located in Wakefield.

 

The owner has requested that you contact him. I have PM'd you his number

My father, Fred Smith was a Thames lighterman and worked for Vokins most of his working life, and spent a lot of time with this tug. It would be great to know where she is now.

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  • 1 year later...
M.t Major Engager

M.t Major

Posted
Posted

Thanks for that John. I never imagined that she would be moved to Coventry, merely that the person who owned her was from/lived near Coventry. After all we all know someone who lives in Rugby which is about as far from the sea as you can get, now has a boat which he keeps on the Essex marshes. - Don't we Carl? For that matter we have at least three boats in our basin where the owners live over 100 miles away.

 

I imagine she is up a backwater on the Thames somewhere.

 

Tony :lol:

 

 

hi all i no of this tug when i was working out on the river thames her last owner was general marine that i no off .. she was sold to some one up north dont no where. like to find out where .. the vassal is her real name she got that name cos of the company she work for which was vokins they name their tugs after the letter V. i got the sister tug which is Valkirie she work for general marine as well now she is privatly owned she currently on the river lea . you will noitce her neame is major right now but soon she well b going bk to her orignal name going to put some info about her soon up on here

 

 

 

james tug major

 

gardner for life not for xmas......

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