A Sad end.

O

oldgit

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The sunken vessel was originally moored somewhere around Cuxton for several years but for some reason left.
Recently appeared down in Rochester town centre dodging between various unauthorised moorings on Rochester Pier and just adjacent to Rochester Bridge.
Disappeared once again and surfaced near another unauthorised mooring just below bridge in Canal road by the semi derlict council owned Strood Pier.
Walkway to pontoon was removed years ago and never came back. no money.
Presumably lack of attention resulted in the boat filling up with water.
Rumour is the original owner has quit and new skipper wants to renovate and use as livaboard.

sunk.jpg
 
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The rubbing strakes are very distinctive - does not look like a Thames tug. after some online research I believe it is probably the ex steam Tom Pudding tug "Waterloo" .

Comment on a Goole history website "Visitor Comments
Posted by George Robinson at 25/03/2006 21:53
One of the former steam Tom Pudding tugs, WATERLOO, has been found lying derelict in the River Medway near Chatham. If anyone has a pot of spare cash it could be brought back for the Waterways Museum!!"

But they may be referring to another vessel which is aground and completely rotten in the Riverside country park near Horrid Hill. I had a look at that one and it looks more like a barge rather than a tug - has a large diesel engine in it looks like a Ruston.

.........

I think the one in the original post is a lovely boat but may be excessively knackered. I hope someone does sort it - would make a very nice base for a residential cruising boat.
 
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There was one for sale on Boat shed. Picture is still online. It shows the rubbing strake arrangement very well.

http://yorkshire.boatshed.com/tom_pudding_tug_widebeam_48-boat-112345.html

Stunning boat in my opinion :)
 
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Outinthedinghy said:
An another one called "Water Haigh"

Looks to be the same as the one in the original post with a similar name.
I think the wreck in the country park is something else entirely.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=to...AUICSgD&biw=360&bih=518#imgrc=LHcilU5gvLf9NM:
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Apparently an american import originally working on south coast.Poss the docks at Southampton.
Two were shipped up here to Medway.
Their big USA diesels were battery started and no method of additional charging ,so small gennies where fitted up here.
 
Been looking into it a bit more and it seems like the old wreck at Horrid Hill is indeed a very early Tom Pudding tug. So I guess this is the Waterloo and i was wrong earlier on.

Anyway it all interesting - I have never boated on the Medway but noticed that there are some freehold mud berth moorings available at Halling - looks interesting.

Seems to be a boatyard which was split up or failed or something.
 
Outinthedinghy said:
Been looking into it a bit more and it seems like the old wreck at Horrid Hill is indeed a very early Tom Pudding tug. So I guess this is the Waterloo and i was wrong earlier on. Anyway it all interesting - I have never boated on the Medway but noticed that there are some freehold mud berth moorings available at Halling - looks interesting. Seems to be a boatyard which was split up or failed or something.
Click to expand...

Bit of tale if the area am thinking of.................
A expat living in France bought up narrow strip of riverbank between Maidstone and East Farleigh in one of the stretches of the Medway probably least affected by human development.
Quickly divided the land and sold on as leisure plots with moorings.
A couple sold quickly.
"Idilic riverbank retreat tucked away in rural Kent" etc .A helpful notice on the sales website mentioning that the EA can do bugger all about the boat mooring there and not mentioning you cannot construct anything permanent on the river bank likely to keep your boat where you left it during a good flood. :)
Despite various EA byelaws, assorted semi permanent mooring jetties were constructed at one spot the river bank has been cultivated and has been turned into a sort of allotment come front garden with trellis.
A couple of hideous oildrum and scaffolding jetties now enhance the scenery.
This particular dream foundered quite quickly but can be apparently bought now with FREE winter mooring
DSC00692.jpg

Once was a beautiful stretch of river.
DSCN8089.jpg

About a year or so later land adjacent to the derlict cement works in Halling was bought by the same chap and it suffered the same fate.
All sorts of unsightly shacks,fences were jerry assmbled on the site.It looked like a refugee camp at Calais
Fortunately,this time,the local council were on top of their game this time and got a court order to return site to original condition, after much whinging by the purchasers bilked out of their hard earned, leaving only the odd livaboard and nice collection of semi sunken hulks and abandoned caravans..
You really do not want your boat on that Halling foreshore just taking the ground if anything is going past in hurry.
 
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Thanks for that. I did wonder if it was related to the other bit where there were "freehold moorings" for sale (on the non tidal section).

It all looks super dodgy so I am not surprised by your comments.

Still looks like an interesting area to visit and look around. I picked up a 12v diesel Genny I found on eBay from down near Yalding. Looked really nice around there.
I'm based in London on a small barge. More seaworthy than a narrow boat but the idea of a trip to the Medway is quite daunting. Some narrow boats do it so its probably OK in fair weather with stopover options.

Could be a nice trip really.
 
No Regrets said:
No great loss. Looks like a cheap and cheerful workboat :ambivalence:
Click to expand...

Surely you mean a chance for the canny entrepenuer to get in on the ground floor of a opportunity as yet undiscovered by the mass market and ideal for someone who laughs in the face of sceptics (and local planning ) to invest some money.
Things getting a bit too hot on the Thames at Teddington, try Tovil. :(
 
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