WILLIAM WATKINS LIMITED
FLEET LIST
LORD WARDEN - NAPIA
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LORD WARDEN
Built 1845 (Some sources 1848) at Millwall. Paddle Tug. 107grt. 43nrt. 60hp Stewart grasshopper disconnecting engine, tubular boilers. Bunkers 18 tons. Consumption 16 ton/day. Speed 10 knots. Acquired 1845. Disposed 1853. Scrapped 1853.
1845 Delivered to Watkins. 1853 Engine retained after scrapping and installed in new Punch.
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MALTA [1]
Built 1883 by E Wales, Hull. Iron Screw Tug. L73'. B15'. D8.5'. 59grt. 250ihp 2cyl compound steam engine by builder. Acquired 1883. Disposed 1886.
1886 Sold to Cowes Steam Tug Co., and still in their ownership 1914.
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MALTA [2]
Built 1875 by J T Eltringham, South Shields. YN41. Iron Paddle Tug. L103.2'. B18.2'. D9.4'. 113grt. 90nhp 2cyl 27.5"x50" steam engine by J P Rennoldson, South Shields. Acquired 1886. Disposed 1888. Scrapped 1951. Official No. 70712
PoR 1875 London, 1888 Sth. Shields. Ex Ben Achie Gibbs Tugs, London. 5-1886 Acquired by Watkins, renamed Malta and overhauled in Scotland. 10-1888 Sold to Robert Stephenson Allen, Newcastle for £1350. 4-1914 Transferred to John Dry Steam Tugs Ltd. 8-1929 Transferred to Redhead and Dry's Tugs Ltd. 5-1944 Transferred to France Fenwick Tyne and Wear Co. Ltd. 3-1951 Sold to J A White and Co., North Queensferry for demolition.
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MANILA
Built 1895 by Cook Welton and Gemmel Ltd., Hull. Steel Screw Tug. L109'. B21.5'. D11.8'. 180grt. 700ihp 3cylTE steam engine 14.5"x23"x37" 27" stroke by Earles, Hull. Acquired 1895. Disposed 1901. Scrapped 1957.
1895 Delivered to Watkins. 6-1901 Owners Table Bay Harbour Board, Cape Town. 12-1916 Owners Cape Town Stevedoring Co., Cape Town. 1-1917 owner Ernest G. Nyman, Cape Town. 3-1917 Owners British Africa Shipping & Coaling Co., Cape Town. 8-1920 Sold Greek owners, renamed Elsi Z. 1926 Owners Loucas Matsas Ltd., Piraeus, Greece, renamed Aghios Nicolaos call sign SVBY. 1957 Broken up in Greece.
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MASHONA
Built 1902 by Irvine Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd. YN27. Steel Screw Tug. L100'. B20.2'. D11.3'. 153grt. 99rhp 3cylTE 13"x22"x35" 27" stroke steam engine by J Stewart and Sons. Acquired 1902. Disposed 1905. ON115822.
11-2-1902 Launched. 1902 Delivered to Watkins. 1905 Sold to Royal Indian Marine, Bombay. 1930 Owners listed as Price, Wills and Reeves.
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MERCIA
MERCIA (In M.S.C. Co. colours) Photo A Hughes Colln.
Built 1889 by Westwood Baillie, London. Iron Screw Tug. L85.8'. B18.1'. D10.7'. 100grt 70nhp 3cylTE steam engine by John Stewart. Acquired 1889. Disposed 1895. Lost 1942.
1889 Delivered to Watkins. 1894 New 160 psi boiler built by Eltringham and fitted by Stewarts. 1895 Sold to Manchester Ship Canal Co. Ltd. 1935 Sold to Sidney Charles Robert, Bristol. 1939 Sold to Fairplay Towage and Shipping Ltd, London. 14-1-1942 Struck a mine and sank in Bristol Channel, posn 51-31-21N 2-44-46W, with loss of all crew.
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MONA
MONA as FIGHTING COCK. Photo A. Hughes Colln.
Built 1884 by L. Smit and Zoon, Kinderdijk, Holland. YN449. Steel Screw Tug. L97.9'. B19.1'. D11.4'. 119grt. 80nhp 2cyl compound Steam engine by Charles Burrell, Thetford, Norfolk. Acquired 1884. Disposed 1885. Scrapped 1963. Official No. 89653. Call sign JSRN later MJBP.
1884 Delivered to Watkins. 1885 Sold to Cowes Steam Tug Co., for £2300. 1890 Owners Queenstown Screw Tug and Ship Co., Cork. 1902 Owners Liverpool Screw Towing and Lighterage Co Ltd., Liverpool, renamed Fighting Cock. 1912 Reboilered. 1947 Owners Toyne, Carter and Co. Ltd., Fowey, renamed Trethosa. 1947 Owners Fowey Tug Co Ltd. 1949 Owners William J. Reynolds Ltd., Plymouth. 1963 Scrapped by Demmelwerk and Redding, Plymouth. Whilst in Watkins ownership the engine in this vessel was very unreliable and gave constant trouble. Charles Burrell were actually traction engine builders.
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MONARCH
Built by H S Waite, North Shields. Wooden Paddle Tug, clench built. L64'10''. B13'11''. D7'5''. (some sources 4'6''). 26 tons. 20nhp steam engine by builder with flue boiler and jet condenser. Coal cap. 7 tons. Acquired 1833. Disposed 1876. Scrapped 1876.
Believed to have been purchased second hand in North of England. Watkins first tug. 1845 New 20psi tubular boiler. 1856 Engine, boiler and hull overhaul, patent paddles fitted. 1861 Reboilered and hull repairs. 29-10-1863 Towing sailing vessel Benlida out of St Katherines Dock when the ship suddenly fell onto its beam ends in a sudden squall due to lack of ballast and later sank off Wapping Old Stairs.1876 Sold for scrap for £40. The tug features in Turners painting "The Fighting Temeraire", although apparently not a very good likeness. With the £40 scrap money Mrs Watkins bought a silver tea and coffee service, "to remember her by".
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MURIA (1)
Photo J. Grainger Colln.
Built 1914 by Scott and Son, Bowling. Steel Screw Tug. L106.3'. B23.1'. D11.7'. 192grt. 450ihp 2cyl 21"x42" 27" stroke 120psi compound steam engine by Aitchison Blair and Co., Glasgow. Acquired 1920. Lost 1940. Official No. 136308. Call sign GVTM.
Launched 25-6-1914 as Futijy, for Admin. Nav. and Vapeur, Constantinople and immediately taken over by the Admiralty as a war prize. 1914 Allocated as Wrestler for Steel and Bennie Ltd, Glasgow. 1914 On completion acquired by RN and renamed Hotspur. 1920 Acquired by Watkins and renamed Muria. 1931 Superstructure alterations and radio fitted. 31-12-1936 Launched her boat to rescue three crew from the SS Diamond which had sunk following a collision with another steamer off Greenhithe. 17-6-1938 Passing Prawle Point towing Cutty Sark Falmouth to Greenhithe. 1940 Req by RN and stationed at Harwich as rescue tug. 15-7-1940 Rescued survivors from Polish steamer Zbaraz convoy FN223 after it sank following bombing near South Ship Head Buoy. 28-9-1940 Departed Sheerness escorting Monitor HMS Erebus to join convoy CW12 enroute for Monitor to bombard Gris-Nez and Calais. Mission was aborted off North Foreland due to heavy weather and both returned to Sheerness. 29-9-1940 The same operation attempted, but due to technical problems HMS Erebus only fired 17 rounds before withdrawing. Escorted into Dover by Muria. 14-10-1940 Departed Southend convoy FN8/4. 16-10-1940 Arrived Methil. 25-10-1940 Departed Southend convoy FN19/4. 27-10-1940 Arrived Methil. 8-11-1940 Struck mine off North Foreland 51-26-30N 1-27E and sank with loss of all hands.
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MURIA (2)
Photo R. Stanford colln.
For all details see PERSIA (2)
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NAPIA (1)
NAPIA as Doralia. Photo Barney Hunt Colln.
Built 1914 by J P Rennoldson, South Shields. YN289. Steel Screw Tug. L90.3'. B22.1'. D10.7'. 155grt. 3nrt. 550ihp 2cyl 18"x40" 26" stroke 120psi compound steam engine by builder. Acquired 1937. Lost 1939. Official No. 136661. Call sign JFPM later MFDC.
4-1914 Built as Doralia for Albert Pattison, London, T/as United Steam Tug Co. 15-8-1914 Acquired by RN serving at Le Havre. 23-3-1919 Returned to owners. 19?? Owners Gravesend United Steam Tug Co. 1929 Fitted with fire fighting pumps. 5-1937 Acquired by Watkins. 17-6-1938 renamed Napia. 6-12-1939 Req by RN used on examination service. 20-12-1939 Struck mine off Ramsgate in Posn. 51.15'N, 0.25'E., and sank with loss of all hands.
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NAPIA (2)
Photo N. Harvey Colln.
Built 1943 By Goole Shipbuilding and Repair Co., Goole. Steel Screw Tug, modified Warrior/Roach standard class. L105.8'. B30.1'. D12.5'. 261grt. 1200ihp 3cylTE 16.5"x28.5"x47" 30" stroke steam engine by McKie and Baxter, Paisley. Acquired 1946. Disposed 1971. Scrapped 1986. Official No. 169087. Call sign MLSV.
1943 Built as Empire Jester for Ministry of Shipping. 6-5-1943 Launched. 22-7-1943 Completed and handed over to United Towing Co. Ltd., Hull, as managers. 1946 Acquired by Watkins and renamed Napia. 1-2-1950 Transferred to Ship Towage [London] Limited. 1950 Converted to oil fired boiler. 27-1-1969 Transferred to London Tugs Limited. 12-1971 Sold to John G Afthinou, Greece, renamed Tolmiros. 1973 Sold to Loucas Matsas, Greece. 19-2-1986 Scrapped at Perama by M Tzonis and Co.
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