Earlier this year during hydraulic testing of the boiler of Steam Tug Kerne it was found that the sixty heavy gauge stay tubes were defective.

As a result of the recent award of The Queens Award for Voluntary Service, The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund have just granted us £3,000 towards the repair work to get Kerne back into steam.

We now have further good news....

Brilliant news. We are delighted to announce that The Steam Tug Kerne Preservation Society has been granted an award of £9,300 by The Heritage Lottery Fund under the “First World War then and now”, scheme. 

As H.M.Tug Terrier she served the Royal Navy from 1913 until being sold into civilian service at Liverpool in 1948.

With this grant the boiler stay tube will be replaced to enable Kerne to steam to events as the last operational ex Royal Navy steamship from the First World War. The work will be led by our skilled volunteers who will train young people in rare heritage boiler repair skills.

The award will go towards researching and sharing the First World War heritage of Kerne, tell the story of her role in the naval dockyards, commemorate those who served in H.M.Tugs during the First World War and enable visitors to come aboard Kerne at events and see what life was like aboard an operational ex Royal Navy coal fired steamship.

Tube removal is now underway with steaming planned for next spring.

Please see the event listing for winter social event for details, but any SBA member is now able to attend on Sunday for Auction and Afternoon Talks for just £10/head! - thanks Dot!

( You can download the booking form for the Auction & Talks here. )

Dot informs us of:

OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT BOLTON STEAM MUSEUM

SATURDAY 10th NOVEMBER 2018

1.00 PM

As part of the activities for the SBA Winter Social weekend there will be an afternoon visit to the Bolton Steam Museum (Northern Mill Engine Society) and non-participants in the weekend are invited to join us. This is an ideal opportunity for those interested to have a private guided tour of the Museum with the machines in steam.

As it is a private function the cost per person will be £7.50.

There is also an opportunity to have a buffet lunch at 1.00 pm at the Museum. Cost is £8 per head.

If you are interested please send name(s) and cheque (made payable to the Steam Boat Association of GB, £7.50 for Museum only, £15.50 for museum and buffet) to

Mrs. D.A. Bullough (address in member's directory) by Friday 26th October.

Any queries contact Dot on 0161 723 3366 or

r.bullough375@btinternet.com

The Consuta Project are seeking to appoint a part time Project Assistant to arrange and organise a variety of activities associated with steam and steamboats.

The work will involve arranging and supervising visits and talks, mostly near the Thames area. The job will be paid on an hourly basis and involves some working from home plus the supervision of the visits/talks that have been arranged. The project is supported by an HLF grant and will end by December 2019.

A variety of possible activities has already been prepared, however the person appointed can vary and modify these as appropriate, the purpose is to develop and encourage public interest in steamboating and its history.

Please look at the Consuta Trust website for more details of the Consuta Project.

If you are interested and would like to know more, please contact Brian Smith by phone:- 07486 606130 or email:- activities@consuta.org.uk "

Brian Smith informs us that The Consuta Project HLF Activities programme is sponsoring a visit to Crofton Beam Engine Steam Gala on Sunday the 30th September. 

Entry open from 10:30. 

Website: https://www.croftonbeamengines.org/

What's on:-

• Beam engines in steam
  
• Static engines
  
• Classic cars
  
• Craft stalls
  
• Boat trips on the canal
  
• and much more
  

Crofton is a Wiltshire location near Burbage/Bedwyn and has a large car park with a cafe for snacks - drinks. Why not visit the oldest working steam engines in the world still performing the job they were built to do.

If you would like to visit this Steam Gala and see steam machinery in a lovely countryside setting you must let me know before Wednesday 26th September to  obtain free entry.

Brian Smith

email: activities@consuta.org.uk or 

Phone: 07486 606130

I am please to announce that Dick Plumb has agreed to take over the vacant role of Anglian Rep. Any local members are encouraged to contact Dick (rgp1000@cam.ac.uk) to welcome him to his new role and see what he has planned for you in the near future.

This appointment was ratified at the full Committee meeting held yesterday (15 Sept 2018)

Guided visit Maritime Hartlepool including Paddle Steamer Wingfield Castle.

23/24 September 2018

Behind the scenes visit with John Megoran (Kingswear Castle and Director, Waverley) to PS Wingfield Castle and Gray Archive on NE shipbuilding on 24 September and to HMS Trincomalee, including talk on conservation work, and Hartlepool Museums . Details - see attached

Visit to Trinity Buoy Wharf 

6 October

Behind the scenes visit to London's newest pier and future plans for SS Robin and other vessels and maritime heritage centre. 

Watch Events listings for more details....

Dot Bullough (our local Commodore) asked that we put up a news item to announce the arrival of two new steamboats into the SBA fleet in "the North".

These are Obsidian, built by Russel & Maureen Clements and Befur built by Louise and Malcolm Duckett... they are on Windermere and Ullswater, respectively. 

Here are a few pictures for the record :-)

Who says the weather in the Lakes is always wet! 

Following a sterling effort by Roger Heise & Ian Davis battling with our servers and security certificates the Steamboat Register is restored to full operation.

Thank you all - enjoy!

As we all bask in the summer sun I am sure there are lots of great pictures which we would all love to see on the web site.

To make it simpler to share your photographs we have added a new Member's Photos page, under the "Media" page.

This allows you to upload your photographs directly to the site - no more waiting for those tardy Web Editors! But it will only work if you all contribute your work...

You can still use the albums on your Profile Page, but this new page will make it easier for visitors to browse - please remember to add captions so that we know what we are looking at! (and please keep the photos under 1Mb in size).

Don't forget the  SBA Facebook Discussion page would be happy to see them too.