by Tony » Fri Mar 02, 2018 8:02 am
Hi i worked on her in the winter of 80/81 for ARC Marine at Mistley Essex she was call Pendeben (Not Arco) the name was painted on the bow. There was also her sister there (identical tugs) as well called Penalde (But not kept there all the time and used for other work) they were owned by Pen boats (Woodbridge) i think and were named after 2 local rivers (Deban and Alde)....our job was to take ex Thames lighters full of sand and gravel from the little bucket dredger (Stour Dedger) that worked on the river keeping the channel clear to Mistley Quey. we would drop off the loaded Lighters to be unloaded at mistley and return up river with empty ones taking two at a time (one on each side)....at night she had a mooring just off Wrabness that we had to row out to......Good times, dam cold and BL"""""dy dangerous (the decks were always covered in ice) nearly got squashed a couple of times between her and the Lighter. (Skipper wasn't the subtlest of helmsman) Tony