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The South Eastern Tug Society (SETS)
purchased the Kent from J. P. Knight for the sum of £1
on the understanding that she would be restored and preserved. A
berth was found for her in No. 1 Basin, Chatham Dockyard
(courtesy of Chatham Maritime), where the refurbishment was to
take place. For the next 4years there was a LOT of hard work for
the volunteers who had 13 years of rust and corrosion to clean
and paint, plus inspection, repairs and preparation of the main
engine and auxiliary engines.
In January 1999 the fruits of labour paid
off with the first run of the Kent's main engine. A few
weeks later she was under way in the basin for a trial run and a
test for the steering gear. In May 1999 S.E.T.S. sailed the
Kent on her first official trip from Strood to Sheerness. Since
May 1999 the Kent has attended events at St. Malo,
Ostend, Maassluis, Rotterdam, Dover, Great Yarmouth, Whitstable,
barge races and regatta's on the River Thames.
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The Kent was built in 1948 by Richards
Ironworks of Lowestoft for J. P. Knight, Rochester.
The Kent began her life on the Medway
berthing ships in the Port of Rochester and Sheerness. When the BP Refinery
opened at the Isle of Grain it was the Kent who assisted the first
British Tanker onto the berth. Over the years she was deployed in various
locations with spells in Scotland, coastal and near continental towing.
In the middle 1980s the Kent was taken out
of service after working almost forty years. The Kent was secured
on the moorings off Ship Pier, Rochester where she was illuminated with
flood-lights and used for advertising the company of J. P. Knight. In 1991
the Kent was towed from the moorings and secured on the buoys off
Thunderbolt Pier, Chatham Dockyard where she remained until 1995. In all
this time there was no maintenance on board.
In October 1995 the South Eastern Tug Society (SETS)
purchased the Kent from J. P. Knight for the sum of £1 on the
understanding that she would be restored and preserved. A berth was found
for her in No. 1 Basin, Chatham Dockyard (courtesy of Chatham Maritime),
where the refurbishment was to take place. For the next 4years there was a
LOT of hard work for the volunteers who had 13 years of rust and corrosion
to clean and paint, plus inspection, repairs and preparation of the main
engine and auxiliary engines.
In January 1999 the fruits of labour paid off with
the first run of the Kent's main engine. A few weeks later she was
under way in the basin for a trial run and a test for the steering gear. In
May 1999 S.E.T.S. sailed the Kent on her first official trip from
Strood to Sheerness.Since May 1999 the
Kent has attended events at St. Malo, Ostend, Maassluis, Rotterdam,
Dover, Great Yarmouth, Whitstable, barge races and regatta's on the River
Thames.
Kent at Tilbury on its way to the Queens
Jubilee Celebrations in 2012
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1st June 2012
Kent at Chatham No.1 Basin
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent at Whitstable
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Engine room with British Polar diesel engine on Kent
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
The South Eastern Tug Society (SETS) also owns the tug
Fearnought.
Fearnought at Chatham No.1 Basin
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Images from a trip on Kent of the South
Eastern Tug Society (SETS) from Chatham to Whitstable on 13th August 2010
for the Whitstable Harbour Festival.
Kent, Fearnought and Barking at
Chatham No.1 Basin
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Preserved VIC 96 at Chatham No.1 Basin, one of two
VICs now at
Chatham
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent approaching the lock at Chatham No.1
Basin
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent in the lock at Chatham No.1 Basin
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Upnor Castle
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Lark at Victory Marine, Gillingham, with her
sister vessel River Spirit (ex-Swallow, ex-Hoo Swan)
and a lightship.
Lark was previously Hoo Laurel - she
is now owned by Riverline Trading and managed by Armac Shipping.
She was reported as being renamed River Leader in May 2009, but
this does not seem to have occurred.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent sailing from Chatham Dockyard to
Whitstable
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent approaching the Kingsnorth Power Station
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent approaching the Thamesport Container
Terminal
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Darnet Fort
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Container ship MOL Volta at the Thamesport
Container Terminal
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent sailing from Chatham Dockyard to
Whitstable with gas tanker Mourad Didouche.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Gas tanker Mourad Didouche.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Svitzer Brenda assisting Gas tanker Mourad Didouche
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Svitzer Victory assisting Gas tanker Mourad Didouche
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Svitzer Brenda and Svitzer Harty
assisting Gas tanker Mourad Didouche
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Isle of Grain power stations
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Gas powered power station on the Isle of Grain
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent approaching Sheerness
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Sheerness Fort
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent arriving at Whitstable with coaster
Union Pluto
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
Kent at Whitstable.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
The tug Barking is also berthed alongside
the two South Eastern Tug Society (SETS) tugs.
Barking is a converted motor tug built in 1928 at the Faversham
Shipyard of J Pollock Sons & Co. Ltd. In 1979 Barking was rebuilt
for the Gas, Light and Coke Co as a Thames Barge tug and was fitted with a
120 BHP Bolinder hot-bulb oil engine. Her present owner converted her to
steam.
Fearnought at Chatham Dockyard
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 13th August 2010
