Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby taximan » Wed Aug 26, 2020 11:28 am

Hornbeam wrote:Taximan, not sure which boat you are thinking of at the Coates Yard, Whitby, but if she is called 'Vectis' she is from Southampton, as far as I am aware (but happy to be corrected) the Commissioner ended up wrecked on Redcar Beach. The Cox on the Commissioner whilst I was there was Alf S a tall chap with glasses who made superb rope mats he ended up in charge of the Rigging Loft at the Graving Dock, nice chap. Whereas the Commissioner was a sleek craft the Conservator was a very rugged built craft as shown in the photograph at the beginning of this forum.


Thanks for the information Hornbeam. the boat I am thinking about is indeed 'Vectics' , however she is very similar to the 'Commisioner', Any info on her loss ?
.
I can't remember the name of the guy I relieved on her but I think he was absent from work due to illness. The name Alf and rope mats rings a bell though'. As for the Conservator, I took over from 'Mick Stirk'. At the time she was used mainly by the surveyer's & transporting the river foreman 'Bill Callaghan' around.
Just one more trip
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Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby Hornbeam » Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:45 pm

Unfortunately I have no further info on the fate of the Commissioner, my limited info came from a chap I was talking to in Redcar who had an interest in boats. As I never saw it myself unlike the 'Taxiarchis' I cannot confirm. Certainly not seen her in Hartlepool Marina unlike the old Fireboat which was moored there and both 'Able' Tugs.
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Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby taximan » Sun Sep 06, 2020 10:55 am

MV Tees Conservator.jpg
Tees Conservator around 1965
Just one more trip
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Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby Hornbeam » Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:20 am

The Conservator was certainly a more 'rugged' craft than the Commissioner and does look a bit like the Vectis at Whitby, built by Pickersgills at Thornaby as I understand it a Boatyard I visited many times in my early years to watch Craftsmen at work, they did turn out some superb Vessels and there would be many a Seaman who was grateful for their well built Lifeboats which was their core business when the Tees Shipbuilders were in operation, the Yard no longer exists but at least one of their fine craft still does or at least did when it was parked on the roundabout at Redcar until recently.
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Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby taximan » Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:05 am

Vectis.jpg
taximan wrote:
Hornbeam wrote:Taximan, not sure which boat you are thinking of at the Coates Yard, Whitby, but if she is called 'Vectis' she is from Southampton, as far as I am aware (but happy to be corrected) the Commissioner ended up wrecked on Redcar Beach. The Cox on the Commissioner whilst I was there was Alf S a tall chap with glasses who made superb rope mats he ended up in charge of the Rigging Loft at the Graving Dock, nice chap. Whereas the Commissioner was a sleek craft the Conservator was a very rugged built craft as shown in the photograph at the beginning of this forum.


Thanks for the information Hornbeam. the boat I am thinking about is indeed 'Vectics' , however she is very similar to the 'Commisioner', Any info on her loss ?
.
I can't remember the name of the guy I relieved on her but I think he was absent from work due to illness. The name Alf and rope mats rings a bell though'. As for the Conservator, I took over from 'Mick Stirk'. At the time she was used mainly by the surveyer's & transporting the river foreman 'Bill Callaghan' around.



The Vectis is looking very sorry for herself now.
Just one more trip
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Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby Hornbeam » Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:36 am

G.M. Taximan, as you say the Vectis is certainly going all to pot since I last saw her what a shame, it makes you wonder why people buy a boat and then let it rot away. My information in regards the loss on the beach of the old Commissioner came from the chap who has the Garage on the Esplanade.
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Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby SAILFIN » Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:24 pm

In 1969 I was deck boy on the Tees Commissioner and I remember she was fitted with two Thornycroft six cylinder diesel engines
and the Cox at that time was Ronnie Carragill. The harbourmaster was Captain Hand and the deputy harbourmaster was Captain English. I was not there long as I moved job to Costain and Blankevoort as a Launch Skipper. That's another story.
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Re: Tees Commissioner and Tees Conservator

Postby Hornbeam » Sat Mar 11, 2023 11:00 am

The Tees Commissioner was a lovely boat very sleek looking and as you say powered by twin Thornycroft 6cy Diesel engines (basically marinised Ford 6 Cy Truck engines), she had the look of a converted ex RAF Seaplane Tender which Thornycroft also built, I still wonder if she was meant for the RAF, the only thing different was the position of her engines which were just Aft of the Wheelhouse because of the Saloon instead of further Aft as in a Seaplane Tender.
A chap called Alf Spashit(spelling?) was her Cox in my time, made superb rope Doormats, I had one for years after I left the TCC. remember Captain Hand the other chaps name doesn't ring a bell but the name White comes to mind.
Often used the Launch as a Relief Engineer when another Engineer pulled a sickie and I had to swop vessels in a hurry.
I understand from a Third Party that she was sold locally for doing a bit of fishing and ended up as previously mentioned.
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