Sparkler

Vessel name on Arrival: Marie Lamey

Original Builder: W. J. Yarwood & Son of Northwich

Original Yard No: 625

Official Number: 167522

Vessel Type: tug

GRT: 161

Year Built: 1940

Arrival Date: 16/08/1967

Breakup Started: 29/12/1967

Date First Beached: 12/02/1968

Date Breakup Completed: 26/08/1968

Draught For’d: 6' 00"

Draught Aft: 12' 06"

Name Changes:

Launched as S.S. Sparkler for the Admiralty

11-06-1957 :  Sold to J. H. Lamey Limited of Liverpool  –  Managers William H. Lamey of Liverpool

July 1957 :  Vessel renamed S.S. Alfred Lamey

December 1966 :  Vessel renamed S.S. Marie Lamey to release name for a new-building vessel

1967 :  Laid up in April and offered for sale.  Sold to Northern Slipways Limited of Dublin, but remained in LIverpool, then vessel was re-sold to the West of Scotland Shipbreaking Company of Troon.

This was the last coal-burning ship-towing Merseyside tug.

 

 

Other Information:

90 ft  x  22 ft  x  11 ft

Triple expansion steam reciprocating engine manufactured by vessel Builder  (12"  x  20"  x  34"  x  24 inch stroke)

On completion, allocated to the shore establishment of HMS Ferret (Londonderry)

02-10-1953  :  Grounded along with Empire Demon when attending the French steamer S.S. Formigny at Londonderry, the latter vessel having grounded on a mud bank next to the Aberfoyle Light.

03-10-1953  :  All three vessels sucessfully refloated undamaged

The vessel was fitted out with a Kort Rudder Nozzle in 1958

 

(Photograph below, courtesy of Alan Hughes, showing vessel in Clover's Dry-Dock No. 2 (Birkenhead) in 1958 when changing from Sparkler to Alfred Lamey.  Other images taken from TT Forum but origin and source not known)