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S.T. ALWYN VINTCENTThis is a featured page

Looking much better Jul 08
The steam tug Alwyn Vintcent (AV) is over half a century old and the last remaining steam tug in South Africa.

Surprisingly, she is now owned by the Villiersdorp Branch of the West Cape Tractor and Engine Club (WCTEC) who purchased her from an Australian businessman late in 2010.

The previous owner had planned to bring her to Australia and restore her to an operating condition which never happenned.

The good news is the vessel has been saved from the scrapyard - yet again! - and will remain in South Africa.

Over the past year the WCTEC have been preparing her for the 220km road journey from Table Bay to Villiersdorp, via Hermon, Wolseley and Rawsonville, where she will be laid up. They intend to restore her to a working condition in the future event she might be refloated.

The WCTEC publicly announced their plan on 1 April 2011 and have since then had a number of volunteer parties actively removing her superstructure and boiler in preparation of the road trip. Two firms, ALE of Firgrove and Machine Moving and Engineering (MME) will be involved in transporting the tug on a date to be announced.

This website was originally intended to record the history of the tug and her move to Australia. As she will now remain in South Africa the task of telling her story and preserving her rests with the WCTEC. I wish them well in their endeavours and congratulate them on saving an important part of SA maritime history .

For further information please refer to the new website: www.alwynvintcent.co.za

Brief History of the Alwyn Vintcent

In 1958, the South African Railways and Harbours Administration had contracted to build almost identical, five 90 foot steam powered "pilot tugs" for work within South African ports.

These vessels were for used towing lighters in addition to general work within the ports, however two of these were built with a clear aft deck area in order to transfer passengers to and from visiting ships lowered by baskets.

They were the Alwyn Vintcent and the SJ Harrison.

The the other tugs, William Weller, Cecil G White and JE Eaglesham were not used for passenger transfers and thus did not have this clear aft area.

All five vessels were unique in terms of design and construction.

They were designed in the UK and supplied with some machinery, etc (again from the UK,) however were built under contract in Italy. (including the most of the machinery.)

Hulls were both welded and riveted.

It is likely that these vessels were amongst the last "hand fired" coal steamships ever built. (Usually Oil Firing was used later for steam powered vessels following 1950.)

On 26 May 1959, the Alwyn Vintcent arrived In Cape Town for the first time, towed by the Dutch tug Hudson.

Following successful sea trials, she was sent to Mossel Bay, which became her main port of service, where she was officially commissioned on 15 July 1959 (See Bob's Story).

She was named after Alwyn Vintcent (1862 - 1918), a past chairman of the Mossel Bay Boating Company, and member of the Harbour's Advisory Board. (Find out more about the Vintcent family in the Contacts and Credits section).

In 1965 the Stirling Castle, on her final voyage, made the last mailship call to Mossel Bay. The AV had the honour, as one of the last servicing pilot tugs, to carry the Royal Mail prior to the introduction of the accelerated mail service.

Although cargo work had ceased with the mail steamers, a weekly Unicorn Line vessel delivered sugar to the port. The AV carried pilots to these ships and assisted them into port and upon sailing.

In 1983, the AV was replaced by a modern diesel powered tug and retired from service. She entered private ownership and along with the SJ Harrison and RA Leigh was destined to sail from Cape Town to Australia in the same year. The vessels made it no further than Port Elizabeth (See Martin's Story).

The AV was purchased by the South African Cultural History Museum, in 1988, for her satellite the South African Maritime Museum. In 1991 she was restored by the museum and returned to service carrying passengers around Table Bay.(See Thomas' Story Part 1 & Part 2).

Unfortunately a reduced operating budget and personnel shortage saw the vessel leased to a private company in 1994. Earlier that year Cedric Hunter closed down the boiler for the last time stating: "She never moved under steam power again and she was the last South African ship to do so. I gained the poignant distinction of being the one to close the era of South African Maritime Steam...." (See Cedric's Story)

In fact the AV was the last operational steamship on the South African register.

Although her steam plant was still operational some systems required attention and due to increasing operating costs a diesel powered hydraulic system was installed to 'drive' the propeller shaft by disconnecting it from the main engine (See Anton's Story). Following this conversion to a diesel/hydraulic drive, the engine and boiler rooms were closed to the public. The operation as a motor vessel, however, was not successful with people preferring more modern and luxurious vessels.

The tug was returned to the museum and de-commissioned in 2000.

Throughout the ensuing years, budget restrictions, and changes within the museum's operational structure prevented the museum from managing the vessel and although placed in 'open storage' she , like any ship unable to be maintained, soon showed signs of neglect.

Reluctantly the decision was made to de-accession the vessel from the social history collection and sell her. In April 2008, seven years after being laid up, she was sold into Australian private ownership who intended to transport her to either Sydney or Melbourne and operate as a pleasure craft. These plans did not eventuate and late in 2010 she was purchased by the Villiersdorp Branch of the West Cape Tractor and Engine Club. They are currently preparing the tug to be removed from the water and road tripped to Villiersdorp.

Of the five vessels built, William Weller, Cecil G White, SJ Harrison, JE Eaglesham and Alwyn Vintcent, only the Alwyn Vintcent survives, virtually 'as built'. The Weller and Eaglesham succumbed to the 'cutters torch' whereas the White and Harrison were converted to diesel power and extensively modified.

There are only three surviving South African steam tugs left in the world.

As one of these, and the only survivor of her class, the Alwyn Vintcent is truly a rare and unique piece of maritime steam history.































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