# Ex Alexandra Tug, Sandon



## MervR (Jul 25, 2011)

I found this in the excellent Scottish Shipbuilding Data Base.

*Sandon* was sold and renamed, *Ridgway* in 1930s

Can anyone locate whose colours she is sailing in and the location??

Thanks, Mervyn


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

In the 1950s she named RIDGEWAY and was own by 'Cooper'. They were a Belfast company. 

Stephen


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

RIDGWAY (1919 – 1927)
O.N. 105894. 112g. 1n. 88.0 x 19.1 x 10.4 feet.
C.2-cyl. (17½” & 36" x 24") by Hepple & Company, South Shields. 99nhp. 750ihp. 
25.8.1896: Launched as CONDOR by J. T. Eltringham & Company, South Shields (Yard No. 187) for George Doust and others (trading as Gamecock Steam Towing Company), Gravesend. 10.1896: Completed. 1896: Registered at London; Vessel No. 155 of 1896. 5.1899: Sold to Herbert Collings, London. 1899: Sold to Azores Coaling Company, Azores. 1915: Sold to R. E. V. James Ltd., Southampton and renamed RIDGWAY. 4.1916: Sold to Tilbury Contracting and Dredging Co. Ltd., London. 12.1919: Sold to John Cooper, 158, Corporation St., Belfast. 12.1927: Sold to Fowey Tug and Salvage Co. Ltd., (Samuel A Buley, manager), Fowey. 1928: Renamed PENLEATH. 10.1941: Sold to Radcliffe Towing and Salvage Company, (William Radcliffe Metcalfe, manager), Ilfracombe. 3.1942: Sold to Cargo Fleet Iron Co. Ltd., Middlesbrough. 1.1946: Demolished at Dunston-on-Tyne. 

RIDGEWAY (1937 - 1955)
O.N. 115299. 127g. 11n. 92.0 x 20.2 x 10.7 feet.
C.2-cyl. (16" & 42½" x 27") by J. Cran & Company, Leith. 98nhp. 600ihp.
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). 16.7.1902: Registered at Liverpool. 20.1.1906: Collided with the steamer SOBO (3,652g./1898) in the R. Mersey, capsized and sank with the loss of eight crew. Subsequently raised, repaired and returned to service. 1914: Collided with the steamer WICKLOW (1,174g./1895) off Sandon Dock and sank with loss of four crew, three saved. 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. Name not registered. 1937: Sold to the Misses Adelaide & Amy Cooper, Belfast and renamed RIDGWAY. 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.


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

Sorry - Type on second vessel - did not have the E in RIDGEWAY


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

BillH said:


> Sorry - Type on second vessel - did not have the E in RIDGEWAY



Correct Bill. TheSANDONthen RIDGWAY is the second vessle and the enlargement of the photo shows the spelling... no E.

Also for the name of the Belfast company: Misses Adelaide & Amy Cooper, Belfast 

All this I could get before was 'Cooper'.


Stephen


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## MervR (Jul 25, 2011)

*Sandon* sunk twice - dangerous job tug-boating!

Thanks for your investigative work, Chaps.

Mervyn


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

I am inclined to think the photo is taken at Aberdeen, purely based on name and that Cooper had red funnel and black top


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Hi Bill,

In this photo of RIDGWAY seems to have a funnel seems to be a black funnel with two white stripes and a wide coloured band in between.... could be red or green? Perhaps. She had the name RIDGWAY was taken in 1927 when bought by Cooper, Belfast. From 1955 she owned by Aberdeen Steam Tug Co. and then to Aberdeen Harbour Board. 
So we need to have Aberdeen colours on the funnel! Note the building at far right. That has a bit of Aberdeen look about it. Drydocks in Aberdeen back then?

Stephen


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Drydocks, but have not found a floating dock.


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

Potentially a remnant of WW2 activity


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Hmmmm. OK. This thread is asking more questions than it answers! Probably the best drydocks would be at Scapa Flow. We had two large A.F.D. Admiralty Floating Docks at Bermuda during the war. After the war the docks were towed back to the UK. (Before my time.)

Stephen


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## Ralph Currell (Jul 30, 2008)

The location is Aberdeen. The floating dock and that distinctive light-coloured building in the background can be seen in this 1949 photo: SAW022567 SCOTLAND (1949). Dry Dock, Pocra Quay and Alexander Hall and Co. Ltd Shipyards, Aberdeen Harbour. An oblique aerial photograph taken facing east. | Britain From Above (you can view the image in higher resolution if you're registered with Britain From Above). The funnel markings seem to be that of the Aberdeen Steam Tug Co.

Ralph


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## MervR (Jul 25, 2011)

Ralph Currell said:


> The location is Aberdeen. The floating dock and that distinctive light-coloured building in the background can be seen in this 1949 photo: SAW022567 SCOTLAND (1949). Dry Dock, Pocra Quay and Alexander Hall and Co. Ltd Shipyards, Aberdeen Harbour. An oblique aerial photograph taken facing east. | Britain From Above (you can view the image in higher resolution if you're registered with Britain From Above). The funnel markings seem to be that of the Aberdeen Steam Tug Co.
> 
> Ralph


Thanks, Ralph. That is a cracking aerial view of Aberdeen.

Cheers, Mervyn


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