# Sail Assisted Ship



## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

Hi Guys
Anybody got information on Stephenson Clarke’s Sail assisted coaster The ASHINGTON ex TENNYSON. For a unusual ship there does not seen to be much info on her, I’ve seen the photos from the Gallery and Photoship and the info from Miramar http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/show/128471
Can anyone out there add to this? Or was it another ship that was sail assisted


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

Ian

Take a look here

http://www.cookeassociates.com/commercial.html


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## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

Brilliant gdynia, thanks.
It looks like it didn’t work out to well.


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## capkelly (Feb 13, 2006)

Ashington (1979) was sail assisted for a short period, with a sail mounted over the accomodation. It was not a success and she reverted to normal, continuing in the bulk trades for many more years, sold with the Aldrington to Croatian interests under the same name and I believe is still trading as Fjord Pearl


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## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

Cheers capkelly, in the photo from gdynia you can see the masts for the sails.
Anybody know of a photo of her at sea with the sails up.


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## John N MacDonald (Apr 1, 2008)

Iain, I seem to remember a photo in one of the shipping magazines.
I can't remember whether it was Shipping today,Sea breezes or Ships Monthly.


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## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

Hi. Pat McCardle's just PM me to look in the Gallery, I don't know what I put in last week but it wasn't this.
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/search.php?searchid=109254
must have had a Senior moment.
Cheers Pat.


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## Pat McCardle (Jun 12, 2005)

Nae problem Ian, are you happy with the photos?


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## ian d.cameron (Jul 3, 2005)

Indeed I am Sir, It was Albi who posed the question on Brians site.
I got interested in her myself as I just Couldn’t find much on her.
cheers again Pat and eveyone.
Ian


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## Keckers (May 18, 2008)

capkelly said:


> Ashington (1979) was sail assisted for a short period, with a sail mounted over the accomodation. It was not a success and she reverted to normal, continuing in the bulk trades for many more years, sold with the Aldrington to Croatian interests under the same name and I believe is still trading as Fjord Pearl


I think I saw this ship in Immingham in the early eighties. The "sail" was a kind of venetian blind affair mounted just aft of the accommodation. Apparently computer controlled - so if she was sailing into a headwind the "slats" of the sail would open offering little wind resistance, and sailing with the wind the slats would close. It had a central mast which the sails slats were attached to (if my memory is right) and the "sail" could be adjusted to gain the most suitable wind assistance, dependent on wind direction.

It wasn't a particularly large vessel - but again it was a long time ago.....


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## thameswatcher (Aug 11, 2005)

*Walker Wingsail*

Actually I believe the wind sails on Ashington were quite successful in as much as significant fuel savings were made. They were designed and built by a company called Walker Wingsail in which company I did actually buy a few shares. The company later branched out in into building catamaran yacht's powered of course by computerised wingsails which although again worked well were not a commercial success and the company eventually went into liquidation.


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## JKB (Jul 6, 2007)

The vessel had a Mirrlees Blackstone K8 Major Mk. II main engine and I remember a Mirrlees service engineer attending trials when the sail was being tried out. If I remember correctly there was a problem with the engine governing in that the sail was more efficient at higher ship's speeds so as the speed increased the engine had to do less work and the governor took fuel off. This caused the sail to lose efficiency so the governor had to put more fuel on to maintain speed. This resulted in the engine speed hunting as the governing became unstable. I'm not sure how, or if, the problem was resolved, whether it was a matter of compensation adjustment on the Woodward governor or something more fundamental.


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## andycadams (Aug 3, 2005)

I piloted Ashington from the Sunk to Gravesend, sometime in the early eighties, the 'sail' was stepped on the funnel. we had a deadline at Gravesend which the flood tide sought to improve upon. We stopped the engine and 'sailed' with the wingsail at least 10 miles between SR1 and SR7 at about 4kts water speed, arriving at Gravesend (on time) to be photographed by a 'phot' from the Daily Telegraph who used a 'fish eye lens' to incorporate Ashington and 'yours truly' on the pilot cutter. Somewhere in my collection of 'pics' is a photo of this event, depicting a really shiny 30's something pilot on the Gravesend cutter about to be landed at Tilbury, whilst the Ashington is moving slowly up Gravesend Reach 'en route' to an even bigger photo opportunity at the Upper Pool for the River Pilot. I was so impressed by the efficiency of the system that I recommeded shares in Walker Wingsail to a member of the Clergy and never dared to ask afterwards about the success of his financial adventure which I suspect was less than successful. If I find the picture I will post it, cant believe how 'shiny' and young I looked.

AndyCAdams


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