# King Orry



## Alan Blair

This is a painting of the King Orry, I'm not really impressed by some of the modern designs of ferries, I know they are very workman like, but a bit too utilitarian at times, so when I saw this photo of the King Orry I decided to have a go at painting this vessel , I went for this low angle to concentrate on the bow wave and to give the impression of speed and power----------Alan


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## thunderd

That's a pretty striking picture Alan. well done....another great talent on SN


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## mcook

Nice painting Alan. That looks like Douglas in the background?

During my leave perioids I worked as an Auxiliary Coast Guard
at Knott End-on-Sea, which was across the river from Fleetwood.
There was a regular summer service from Fleetwood to Douglas and
it was always a fine sight to see the IOM ferries entering and leaving
the Wyre estuary. It was even better sailing on one to the Island
in June for a day of TT races and drinking lots of excellent Manx beer!

Was it not the King Orry that once ran aground in the Fleetwood channel?

I also understand that some of the ferries had a bow rudder arrangement
to assist them with backing in to their berths.


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## moaf

not sure about king orry but Hengist and Horsa had bow rudders to assist them when running astern to the berth. I was on a cable ship, the Cable Enterprise which also had a bow rudder.


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## Santos

Very nice painting Alan, very nice indeed.

Yes most if not all of the IOM ferries had bow rudders. Very impressed one day to see the Manxman going up river astern at quite a pace to berth in Dublin. Bridge Officers on the Monkey Island facing aft as she fairly cracked on. Thats were the bow rudders came in useful and also at Douglas.

Those ships, King Orry, Snaefell, Manxman, Tyndwall etc were beautiful ships, their lines were graceful and they always gave the impression of power and speed, which they were, fast ferries, very fast in fact. I saw them in dry dock their hulls were like yachts hulls, long and slender.

King Orry did go aground in the river Lune in 1976. She was laid up at the time for sale and broke her moorings in a severe storm. We all thought she was trying to make a break for it as she didnt want to be scrapped. Sadly she was refloated and then later scrapped.

To my mind the most beautiful of them all was the old Lady of Mann. Built during the depression of the 30s by craftsmen and apprentices. Quadruple screw, steam turbine, fast, very fast. I worked on her. Story has it that she left a crack R.N. Destroyer in her wake more than once when carrying evacuee children to the Isle of Mann during the Second World War.

Lets hope they save the Manxman, the last survivor, and bring her home to the Mersey, I for one will be there to help if I can.

Chris.


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## rotbod

had the pleasure working on the snaefell in 1976 summer season.what a ship.pure class


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## sleepyjean

How I remember all the manx ferries back to around 1970 ish.... about 10 years later I was fortunate to work on the Manx Viking (when she sailed under the Sealink colours) between Douglas & Heysham, sadly now the IOM only has one proper ferry left ..... Ben My Chree (or boat as us manxies call them!!) I remember the days when there were 7 of the IOMSPCo boats alongside in Douglas (showing my age now!!)


Cracking picture Alan!


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## R58484956

SJ saying the word boat on here should ripple a few nerves, great discussions in the past on this subject ie boats/ships


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## scouse152

Those old steam ferries were a pleasure to work on. I worked the summer season in 74 on TYNWALD as a buffet boy, great times.


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## 6639

no,mcook.the one that ran aground between the pier and the North Euston hotel was the Mona's Isle.the "king" did run aground at Glasson Dock though in the Storms of either '76 or '77 and stayed high and dry there for months.I think from memory she was tied up at Glasson awaiting disposal and broke free of her moorings.by the way how is john Bradbury these days.haven't seen him in ages.last I heard from him he'd got a gong from the Queen for his services to the coast guard service,and well deserved too.
all of those old ships (i beleive all )had bow rudders.they used them very effectively reversing down the wyre channel at Fleetwood (nearly 2 miles) to their births at North End,as in those days there were no bow thrusters and no room to turn in the wyre channel.they also had for the purpose reverse facing navigation lights with red on starboard side and green on port for those reversing manouvers at night.


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## Keith Adams

Hi Again! My family went to the I.O.M. from Fleetwood for a short holiday in
1945... half of the hotels on the Prom. were occupied with German prisoners of
war... they had a small shop attached from which they could sell handmade
artifacts... some really intricate model ships, etc.. Returned on the "Monas
Queen" which I think was a paddle steamer. By the way, in Liverpool we always
referred to vessels as "Boats",(e.g.) Bibby Boat, Cunard Boat, etc.. Snowy.


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## 6639

sadly snowy, all those lovely hotels are no longer.apart from a few that can be counted on one hand with digits a plenty to spare,they are all now either private houses or flatlets for rent.it's very sad to look back on Fleetwood as I remember it when you couldn't walk on the prom (as a young boy growing up) for the number of holiday makers and day trippers that throngued the place to what it is these days,mind you places have to change with the times,and sadly Fleetwood didn't.It's still a great place to live though,with super views accross to the Lakes district.ah! well sentiment taking over with a watery eye.or perhaps you were talking about the hotels on Douglas prom.Not as many as them left these days either,but still more than at Fleetwood!


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## Keith Adams

Hello nhp651! thanks for the comment... it was Douglass I was thinking of, hope to visit there again one day. All well here. Snowy.


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## sleepyjean

Hi Snowy, I was last back on the iOM 12 months back, it is awful, hardly any hotels/boarding houses left, they have either been knocked dowm closed down or apartment blocks, also a lot of investment type places now.. very sad to see the islands capital going this way. Very few tourists visit now, if they get rid of TT week that is the end of the islands tourist trade.


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## billyt

*Ben-my-Chree*



sleepyjean said:


> How I remember all the manx ferries back to around 1970 ish.... about 10 years later I was fortunate to work on the Manx Viking (when she sailed under the Sealink colours) between Douglas & Heysham, sadly now the IOM only has one proper ferry left ..... Ben My Chree (or boat as us manxies call them!!) I remember the days when there were 7 of the IOMSPCo boats alongside in Douglas (showing my age now!!)
> 
> 
> Cracking picture Alan!


I started my sea career on the old Ben-my-chree 1964 done six months has officers boy till she was laid up for the winter in Barrow was paid of there. I believe she was scraped 1965. billy Turley


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## Manxman 52

Alan Blair said:


> This is a painting of the King Orry, I'm not really impressed by some of the modern designs of ferries, I know they are very workman like, but a bit too utilitarian at times, so when I saw this photo of the King Orry I decided to have a go at painting this vessel , I went for this low angle to concentrate on the bow wave and to give the impression of speed and power----------Alan


Hi Alan, I had forgotten the "King Orry" the car ferry, I remember the passenger ferry version from when I worked on the "Monas Queen"in the early 1970's so I have attached two pictures for you to see (Thumb) Nice painting by the way (Applause)


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## Vindi Phil

Manxman 52 said:


> Hi Alan, I had forgotten the "King Orry" the car ferry, I remember the passenger ferry version from when I worked on the "Monas Queen"in the early 1970's so I have attached two pictures for you to see (Thumb) Nice painting by the way (Applause)


The last "King Orry" as shown in the right hand picture was built as the ALA French Train Ferry "St. Eloi" for the Dover / Dunkirk Train Ferry service I believe. The shipyard ran out of money and modifications had to be made. She was supposed to be a sister ship to the B.R. / Sealink train ferry - ro/ro - multi purpose vessel "Vortigern". In the end, as she was 18 months overdue they did not give her a bow door making her an "old time" vessel and not a ro/ro.
Vindi Phil.


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