s/s Shieldhall

s/s Shieldhall

As we were closing in on Falmouth we saw in daylight the famous s/s Shieldhall, the largest (if not only) steam operated screw propelled vessel in UK. As per their website they are nowadays also largest in northern Europe (if not all of it). The s/s Waverley is a paddle steamer built in 1946 that does regional cruises around UK and the other paddle steamer Kingswear is built in 1924, based in Dartmouth.

The day before when we left Southampton I saw her also shortly after exiting the Solent, we overtook her some miles away but we were clocked on their website with the live location they had in there. 

Then the next morning we got up the channel and anchored off the Pendennis shipyard and took onboard some staff and went out for a pre docking seatrial so they could take their measurements for noise and vibration etc. As I was going in circles and up and down the place on rpm's set by the engineers, I saw Shieldhall approaching, so I set course at them. We were at the time motoring at full rev's so had a speed of 14kts and was feeling like a king of the castle.

I got in on her port side and they got on the radio asking what we were up to, naturally told them to relax, as a give away vessel we went astern of them and came up on their starboard side as we still had more speed, they were making about 9 kts. At same time I managed to take a few shots from the bridge whilst passing her. 

We again went up the the channel and anchored on the Falmouth bank and disembarked the staff.  As Shieldhall made their way I again got off a few nice shots with the tugs taking her in tow and some sailing boats around. 

Some days later I saw her in the graving dock next to Pendennis at A&P yards, I almost missed her as she looked very small and minuscule on the bottom there, her superstructure has a very low profile and did not rise much above the edge. In a week she had her work done and was off again back to Southampton. I hope she'll have a great season, and if time permits, I will try to get in a visit on her when we're back there as well.

The national historic ships write that S/s Shieldhall was built for Glasgow Corporation as a sludge disposal vessel replacing an older namesake. She spent her working days moving treated sewage sludge from Shieldhall and Dalmuir down the River Clyde for disposal in the deeper waters around Garroch Head. These vessels had a long tradition of passenger carrying going back to the First World War when they used to take soldiers convalescing from their injuries on their runs to sea. Since that time all the ships, including Shieldhall, were fitted with accommodation and trips were provided mainly for disadvantaged people who otherwise would not have experienced a trip in a pleasure steamer. Shieldhall is built on classic lines with a riveted and welded construction, a straight stem, cruiser stern and a traditional wheelhouse. She is fitted with two Scotch Boilers providing saturated steam to two triple expansion engines driving twin screws.

Her normal operating speed is 9 knots with a maximum of 13 knots. She entered service in 1955 and operated on the Clyde until 1976 when she was replaced by the motorship s/s Garroch Head and laid up. In 1977 she was purchased by Southern Water Authority to carry sludge from Southampton for disposal in an area south of the Isle of Wight. In 1985, the rising cost of fuel made her uneconomical to run and she was withdrawn from service and again laid up. As a result of an initiative by the Southampton City Museum, a preservation society, The Solent Steam Packet Ltd, was formed and, in 1988, Shieldhall was purchased for £20K. All work on the ship was carried out by unpaid volunteers and much has been done to bring her up to and keep her in seagoing condition. In 2006, Shieldhall was awarded a grant of £275500 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to continue restoration and contribute towards extending her seagoing life by enabling her to remain fully operational and renewing the passenger carrying certificate.

1. What is the vessel’s ability to demonstrate history in her physical fabric?

Built in 1955 by Lobnitz and Co in Renfrew Scotland, Shieldhall was designed as a ‘one off’ to meet specific customer requirements. She encapsulates the history of ship development, from technology that allowed steam to supplant sail at the turn of the 20th Century through to the transition in building methods from riveted to welded joints after the Second World War. Shieldhall is one of only a few remaining vessels able to demonstrate this material change with her superstructure and hull displaying both techniques according to her original build. Her boilers, two triple expansion steam engines and steering gear are of a similar configuration to earlier vessels, such as RMS Titanic, and are original, as are the capstans, windlass and numerous auxiliary pumps which are powered by two oil fired scotch boilers. The Glasgow sludge fleet was unique in being certificated for passengers and Shieldhall’s passenger saloon represents a feature of social history, where a public asset was used for the public good. Under the ownership of Southern Water, it was converted to an Officers and Owners Saloon as evidenced by the partition between the Saloon and Bar area made by two doors in what was originally an open area. In 1978, the bridge wings were enclosed by Southern Water and a small deck house was added around the base of the foremast as a Bosun’s store. There were also some changes to the accommodation. These adaptations have been reversed in preservation where possible, albeit using modern, approved marine grade materials. Given her operational status, features such as high door sills and narrow doorways remain. In 2000, the timber rubbing strake was replaced with a composite rubber version of the same shape and form. The traditional deck caulking has been replaced by a modern alternative of a similar style which is more durable and effective to maintain. Steelwork is replaced when necessary to meet operational requirements. Conservation is ongoing, with interventions being reversible where possible in case the vessel should become a static exhibit at any future point.

2. What are the vessel’s associational links for which there is no physical evidence?

Commissioned by the Glasgow Corporation, Shieldhall was part of the passing scene on the Clyde, often known by the epithet of “Banana Boat”, more a reference to the colour scheme of the sludge ships than their trade. She has strong links to this area and, during a period of unrest in the shipbuilding industry, the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders had a ‘work-in’ rather than a strike, where a recording by a local folk group of the “Shieldhall Song” was used as an event to raise funds. Although built in the 1950s, the technology found in Shieldhall’s boilers and main engine dates from the late 19th Century and was widely used on merchant ships until the 1960s, with Shieldhall being one of the very few remaining vessels worldwide able to demonstrate its active use. Photographs and documentation from her shipbuilders are retained in the Glasgow University Archives and the Glasgow Corporation. Archive material collected by the current owners resides in the Sea City Museum archives in Southampton. She was recorded on the National Register of Historic Vessels in 1996 and given the status of inclusion in the National Historic Fleet. She was awarded Flagship of the Year twice by National Historic Ships UK in 2009 and 2018.

3. How does the vessel’s shape or form combine and contribute to her function?

Shieldhall was originally used by Glasgow Corporation to take treated sewage sludge to dumping grounds near the Firth of Clyde. She performed a similar task for Southern Water between 1980 and 1985, before being withdrawn from service. The sludge ship was a hard-working vessel intended to operate both summer and winter, in all types of weather and sea conditions. The lower reaches of the Firth of Clyde experience heavy weather conditions during storms. As a result, the design of the high fo'c'sle was intended to provide a degree of shelter to the foredeck in bad weather and keep the crew accommodation largely dry. Shieldhall is open to the public throughout the season for cruises and events alongside. Located in the heart of the Southampton Docks, she provides visitors with a comprehensive view of the port with vessels ranging in size from the largest container ships and cruise ships to the smallest ferries and pleasure craft.

The team for Shieldhall are quite active online, here are a few links to their social medias and websites:

Shieldhall website

Facebook page

National historic ships

Wikipedia

Specifications as per Wikipedia:

Name: Shieldhall
Owner(s): 

Glasgow Corporation 1955–1976
Southern Water Authority 1977–1985
The Solent Steam Packet Ltd 1988 -

Port of registry: Glasgow
Builder: Lobnitz & Co., Renfrew, Scotland; Yard number 1132
Keel laid: October 1954
Launched: 7 July 1955
IMO number: 5322752
Fate: Preserved as Museum ship in service
Tonnage: 1,792 GT
Length: 81.69 m 
Beam: 13.56 m
Draught: 4.11 m 
Power: 2 triple-expansion steam engines of 800 IHP each
Propulsion: Twin screw
Speed Service: 9 knots
Maximum: 13 knots
Capacity: 1800 tons of sludge and 80 passengers
Crew: 12