# porter tugs



## kenfoster (Apr 10, 2008)

hello all.does anybody rememberstevie porter tugs of liverpool dad said they only had two but cant remember there names any ideas, thanks ken


----------



## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

Ken

There was a Iredale and Porter Shipping company in Liverpool is this the one


----------



## kenfoster (Apr 10, 2008)

*iredale and porter*

hello gdynia.not sure finding info for dad, will google and see what i can get for him, thank you for replying. regards ken


----------



## Willowgarth (May 7, 2009)

*Portus Tugs*



kenfoster said:


> hello all.does anybody rememberstevie porter tugs of liverpool dad said they only had two but cant remember there names any ideas, thanks ken


Hi Ken, Going from memory, Stevie Portus had two tugs. The Eastham ( ex MSC tug, later Edith Lamey) and the Toxteth (ex Alexandra Towing Co) which I think was sunk while towing a ship out of Garston Docks about 1950.
Cheers Fred


----------



## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

From my records neither of the two aforementioned tugs have been found to have passed through Portus hands.

EASTHAM
O.N. 108841. 103g. 0n. 80.3 x 19.0 x 9.9 feet.
Two C.2-cyl. (17" & 35" x 24") steam engines made by the shipbuilder. 
1899: Completed as EASTHAM by J. Fay & Company Ltd., Southampton (Yard No. 392), for the Manchester Ship Canal Company. 
1952: Purchased by J. H. Lamey, and renamed EDITH LAMEY. 
1958: Sold to the British Iron & Steel Corporation and allocated to T. W. Ward Ltd., Sheffield, for demolition at their Preston facility.

TOXTETH 
O.N. 118071. 139g. 4n. 92.0 x 20.1 x 10.7 feet.
C.2-Cyl. (16" & 42½" x 27") steam engine made by the shipbuilder. 98 RHP.
4.12.1903: Launched by J. Cran & Company, Leith (Yard No. 47), for the Alexandra Towing Company Ltd. 
12.1903: Completed. 
1937: Collided with the British steamer (8,183g./1921) and sank. Subsequently raised, repaired and returned to service. 
1947: Collided with the Norwegian steamer BASIS (2,954g./1944), and sank. Subsequently raised and demolished at Tranmere.



The only 3 Portus owned vessels that I am aware of are detailed below


BALTIC
O.N. 115299. 127g. 11n. 92.0 x 20.2 x 10.7 feet.
C.2-cyl. (16" & 42½" x 27") steam engine made by J. Cran & Company, Leith. 98 RHP. 600 IHP.
8.5.1902: Launched as SANDON by Dundee Shipbuilders Company Ltd., Dundee (Yard No. 138), for the Alexandra Towing Company Ltd. 
6.1902: Completed by J. Cran & Company, Leith (Yard No. 44). 
20.1.1906: Collided with the steamer SOBO (3,652g./1898), in the R. Mersey, capsized and sank with the loss of 8 crew. Subsequently raised, repaired and returned to service. 
1914: Collided with the steamer WICKLOW (1,174g./1895), and sank. Subsequently raised, repaired and returned to service. 
1914: Renamed HUSKISSON. 
1934: Reported as sold to unspecified Arklow buyers. 
1934: Sold to Captain Stephen Portus and renamed BALTIC, for charter to J. H. Lamey. 
1937: Sold to the Misses Adelaide & Amy Cooper, Belfast, and renamed RIDGEWAY. 
1955: Sold to Aberdeen Steam Tug Company, (A. W. B. Gill, manager), Aberdeen. 
1960: Sold to Aberdeen Harbour Board, Aberdeen. 
1962: Demolished by Van den Marel & den Korbe at Bruinisse, Holland.

DORUNDA 
O.N. 98096. 102g. 2n. 85.2 x 19.1 x 10.2 feet.
C.2-cyl. (17" & 32" x 24") steam engine made by Ross & Duncan, Glasgow. 70 NHP.
5.1890: Completed by Steward and Latham, Blackwall, for the United Steam Tug Company, Gravesend. 
15.8.1914 until 15.8.1919: Hired by the Army. 
4.1929: Sold to Captain Stephen Portus, Garston. 
10.1933: Purchased by J. H. Lamey, Liverpool. 
1944: Converted into a coal barge. 
1948: Sold to the British Iron & Steel Corporation and allocated to V. Sellars, for demolition at Tranmere.

AVONMOUTH
O.N. 117712. 64g. 76.0 x 16.1 x 9.0 feet.
C.2-cyl. steam engine made by the shipbuilder. 40 NHP. 350 IHP.
8.1903: Launched as AVONMOUTH by Hepple & Sons, S. Shields (Yard No. 526), for the Avonmouth Steam Tug Company, (C. & J. King Ltd., managers), Bristol. 
1903: Completed. 
1935: Sold to Captain Stephen Portus, Liverpool. 
1938: Sold to J. H. Lamey Ltd., Liverpool, and renamed B. C. LAMEY. 
1947: Sold to Steamtug Firefly Ltd., Liverpool, and renamed FIREFLY. 
1955: Sold to Grain Elevating & Automatic Weighing Company Ltd., (Joseph Forster, manager), Liverpool. 
1958: Sold to Wm. Bate & Company Ltd., Liverpool. 
1960: Company purchased by Rea Ltd., Liverpool. 
1960: Sold to the British Iron & Steel Corporation and allocated to Henry Bath Ltd., for demolition at Garston.


----------



## Willowgarth (May 7, 2009)

*Stephen Portus Tugs*



BillH said:


> From my records neither of the two aforementioned tugs have been found to have passed through Portus hands.
> 
> EASTHAM
> O.N. 108841. 103g. 0n. 80.3 x 19.0 x 9.9 feet.
> ...


Hi Bill, I did say in my post that I was quoting from memory, In Bram Hallams book 'Blow Five' the fleet list gives in addition to the boats you mention, the Bahia; Toxteth; Bristol Scout and Surveyor No 5 as being chartered or bought by J H Lamey from Portus. 
Cheers Willowgarth


----------



## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

Willowgarth said:


> Hi Bill, I did say in my post that I was quoting from memory, In Bram Hallams book 'Blow Five' the fleet list gives in addition to the boats you mention, the Bahia; Toxteth; Bristol Scout and Surveyor No 5 as being chartered or bought by J H Lamey from Portus.
> Cheers Willowgarth


Willowgarth,

Not a problem. I did say extracted from my records which relate to Alexandra Towing Group and their ancestral fleets.

Steve Portus fleet falls outside that scope so records are incomplete aside those listed vessels that were directly owned by Alex group / Lamey.

Bill


----------



## kenfoster (Apr 10, 2008)

*portus tugs*

hello bill h and willowgarth. a big thanks for giving me this information i will relate it to dad, many thanks ken foster.


----------

