Tough Brothers 85 ft Twin Screw Motor Vessel 1956/2018

Notwithstanding her astonishing moment of worldwide fame as "the world's most seen boat" - the vessel that carried Sir Winston Churchill up the Thames towards his final resting place during the world’s largest state funeral in January 1965 - HAVENGORE has always been an interesting vessel in her own right. Commissioned in 1956 by the Port of London Authority as their principal survey vessel and flagship, she was beautifully built to Admiralty construction scantlings with double diagonal teak planking, and became their longest serving vessel. Since retirement in 1995, in two passionate ownerships HAVENGORE has continued to work for her living as a day charter vessel, MCA licenced for 40 passengers and 10 crew, but always with the potential to operate as a private yacht. Recent major structural refits at a good UK yard have been an excellent investment in the future of this national treasure.

FOX'S MARINA AND BOATYARD, IPSWICH: 2015-2018
(and normal winter maintenance)
- In commission summers 2015, 2016; back in commission 2018
- Entire deck removed and labelled
- All new laminated beamsheves
- New tie rods
- Various fabricated stainless steel bracing as required
- Replacement deck beams and carlins as required
- Inventory of work done and marked-up on copy of original design drawing
- Teak deck planks successfully re-laid

Watch a timelapse film of HAVENGORE’s 2017 refit
- 6800 hours of work carried out over 9 months
- 200,000 photos in 2 minutes!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLrzgvxAk-Y&t=63s

F. PARHAM LTD, GILLINGHAM: 2006-2008
(and normal winter maintenance)
- MCA Upgrades for 40 passengers and 10 crew licence
- Engines rebuilt (by Gardner Marine Ltd)

GARDNER MARINE LTD: 2006 - Date
- Engines rebuild 2006-2008
- A scrapped Gardner 8L3 powered shunting locomotive was used for parts
- Annual engine maintenance

UK NATIONAL HISTORIC SHIPS REGISTER No. 1819
- National Historic Ships Flagship for the year in 2015

"And so now HAVENGORE sails into history... Not even the GOLDEN HINDE had borne such a great a man"
Richard Dimbleby, BBC, January 30th 1965 (After Churchill’s State Funeral)

Chosen well in advance during "Operation Hope Not", partly because her ample decks would allow access for the Grenadier Guards bearer party, HAVENGORE became assured a place in history as the vessel that carried Sir Winston Churchill up the Thames towards his final resting place on 20th January 1965 as part of the then largest state funeral in history. John Tough, son of her designer Robert 'Bob' Tough recalls:

"When HAVENGORE returned to the yard in the early 1960's for a refit, the works list included having the stanchions and rails on the aft deck made portable and having a metal frame built over the aft skylight. There was no explanation for what these modifications were for, but it all became clear when HAVENGORE was seen carrying Churchill’s coffin on the frame on the aft deck, and with the stanchions and rails removed to allow the bearer party to get on board."

HAVENGORE was seen by an estimated, and unprecedented, live TV audience of 350 million. It was this fame thirty years later that prevented her from almost wasting away at her Gravesend, Kent mooring after decommissioning in 1995 as the Port of London Authority's principal survey vessel and flagship.

Notwithstanding this moment of worldwide fame as "the world's most seen boat", HAVENGORE has always been an interesting vessel in her own right. Ordered in 1955 by the PLA to replace their ageing SHORNE MEADE, her hull and double-diagonal teak planked construction design closely resembles the WW2 British War Office Harbour Defence Motor Launch (HDML) type, with the addition of an after extension to create those shapely stern sections. Throughout the war the HDML, and many other similarly constructed small boat types, had been built in profuse numbers by yacht and fishing vessel yards throughout the UK.

One of these yards, Tough Brothers of Teddington at the head of the tidal Thames, had built 23 'Fairmile' Motor Gun Boats (MGBs) and Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) during these five crazy years, and had plenty of experience with the construction method. HAVENGORE was beautifully built, launched on February 1st 1956, and entered service on Valentine's Day. Her name is from a low lying island of the outer Thames estuary.

The Second World War had pushed sounding technology rapidly forward, and during HAVENGORE's first 40 years as an increasingly important element of the PLA's expanding Thames responsibilities, advances in electronics technology were reflected in the equipment monitored by hydrographers housed in what is now her deck saloon. She became the first UK survey vessel to be equipped with a computer.

Approaching her 40th birthday, HAVENGORE was decommissioned in 1995, and rescued in 1996/97 by Australian resident New Zealand businessman Owen Palmer and his English partner Sally Browne. They'd been looking for a platform for a children's educational trust, and Palmer had discovered HAVENGORE while absentmindedly browsing the brokerage section of a yachting magazine during a UK visit.

Although, in her by then dilapidated condition, the vessel was far from ready, heads gave way to hearts, the couple settled in England for a while and achieved their aim - along the way saving, restoring, and sympathetically refitting HAVENGORE for her new purpose - and took more than 4,000 children on trips from Chatham, teaching confidence and leadership.

In February 2006 equally passionate UK businessman Chris Ryland became HAVENGORE's third owner, moving her base to the heart of London to become the Thames charter vessel of choice for the most special of occasions, including hosting members of the Royal Family for the 2012 Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant, the Paralympic Flame in London's Olympic year, and, in 2015, a 50th anniversary re-enactment of that famous voyage up the Thames.

Along the way, Chris Ryland has invested considerably in attending to HAVENGORE's needs in the refits and restoration work detailed elsewhere here. It's of course partly out of necessity in maintaining her 40 passengers/ 10 crew MCA Commercial Coding Licence - passively maintaining her educational role in keeping woodworking and engineering skills alive - and massively in keeping the Churchill spirit to the forefront.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Double diagonal teak on oak timbers and multiple stringers
- Massive laminated oak beam shelf (2018)
- Straight laid solid teak deck (re-laid 2018)
- beautifully long-nibbed to coveringboards
- laid on many new deck beams and carlins
- Teak superstructures, Coelan coated

GENERAL
- Solid teak deck, Coelan coated
- Stainless steel stanchions
- Coelan finished hand rail
- White painted covering boards

FROM AFT

AFT DECK
- Flush hatches to spacious lazarette/ steering flat
- Chromed bollard mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Associated chromed mooring cleats port and starboard
- Raised (hatch over aft cabin with 2 x Deck prisms
- 1 x Large chromed mushroom vent
- 4 x Chromed mushroom vents
- Large raised butterfly skylight (which held Churchill's coffin)
- (Skylight is traditionally varnished)
- Fold out table extension from aft of skylight
- 2 x Deck prisms to port

SIDE DECKS
- 2 x Deck prisms to port and starboard
- Mid deck spring mooring bollard cleats and fairleads port and starboard
- Life rafts port and starboard at rail

DECK SALOON
- Teak uprights
- Main companionway
- Door and sliding hatch
- Window to port
- Stainless steel uprights port and starboard
- Engine room intakes with fire flaps port and starboard

WHEELHOUSE

FOREDECK
- Large raised booby hatch to forward accommodation
- Flush hatch
- 6 x Deck prisms
- Chromed bollard mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Associated chromed mooring cleats port and starboard
- Samson post
- 2 x Bow rollers at stemhead fitting

GROUND TACKLE
- Stockless anchor
- Electric anchor windlass
- Horizontal chain gipsy and warping drum

The accommodation comprises:
UPPER DECK:
- Large deck saloon with bar
- Wheelhouse
LOWER DECK AFT
- Owner's study
- Double berth sleeping cabin
- 2 x Toilet compartments
- Shower compartment
LOWER DECK FORWARD
- Catering quality galley
- Food and beverage preparation / storage area
- Crew accommodation

UPPER DECK

AFT ENTRANCE TO LARGE DECK SALOON
- Sliding door access to starboard down to engine room
- Stair access down to port to aft (owner) accommodation
- 2 x Banquettes port and starboard
- Bar forward to starboard with 2 x bar fridges
- 9 x Steps down to port forward to lower deck accommodation
- 3 x Steps up mid forward to wheelhouse
- 7 x Bulkhead lights
- 4 x Deckhead lights

WHEELHOUSE
- Sideboard aft to port
- Leather/ button leather banquette aft to starboard
- Leather bar style seating port and starboard of helm
- Button leather back rests
- Lifejacket stowage under starboard seating
Central helm position
- Leather/ buttoned leather helm seat
- Traditional ship's wheel
- Mathway Marine bronze rudder angle indicator
- Gardner throttle controls on bronze pedestal
- Large dashboard forward
- Locker under; manuals stowage
- Engine instrumentation
- Electronic navigation, and communications equipment
- Ship's isolator panel
- Alarm displays: bilge; gas; fire
- Generator instrumentation

LOWER DECK AFT

OWNER SUITE
- 8 x Steps down from port aft of deck saloon
- Passageway aft
- Butterfly skylight in deckhead

STUDY/ SMALL SALOON TO STARBOARD
(Could be converted to a cabin)
- 2 x Leather chairs
- Folding table
- Writing desk and chair
- Large, full height locker
- Churchill memorabilia
- 3 x Opening ports
- 1 x Deckhead light
- 3 x Spotlights over desk

WC/ SHOWER COMPARTMENT TO PORT
- Walk-in shower
- Tecma electric toilet
- Ceramic sink; hot and cold taps
- Lockers under
- 1 x Opening port
- 5 x Spotlights

OWNER CABIN AFT
En-suite to port
- Ceramic sink; hot and cold taps
- Locker under
- 1 x Opening port
- 2 x Spotlights
Separate WC Compartment
- Jabsco electric toilet
- 1 x Opening port
- 1 x Deckhead prism
- 4 x Spotlights
Large double berth
- Writing desk to port
- Large hanging locker
- Banquette
- 4 x Opening ports
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Bulkhead lights
- Hatch in deckhead to aft deck

LOWER DECK FORWARD
- 9 x Steps down from forward port of saloon
- Lockers to port

COMMERCIAL GALLEY TO STARBOARD
- 2 x Flavel Milano gas cookers
- Each with 4 x burner hob, and oven
- Stainless steel work surfaces
- 2 x Stainless steel inset sinks with 1 x drainer
- Mixer tap
- 2 x Sharp microwave
- 2 x Fridges
- Hotpoint dishwasher
- Electric bulkhead mounted fan
- 2 x Opening ports
- 1 x Deckhead strip light

FORWARD ACCOMMODATION/ WORK AREA
- 2 x Bunk berths to port
- 2 x Fridges
- Very large lockers
- 2 x Half butterfly skylights port and starboard of foredeck gas locker
- 1 x Hanging locker
- 6 x Opening ports
- 3 x Deckhead strip lights

FORWARD
- Ladder up to deckhead booby forehatch
To Port
- Work surface with inset stainless steel sink and drainer
- Mixer tap
- Work area
To Starboard
- Large lockers: drinks, plates, cups etc

Access forward to anchor chain locker

MECHANICAL
HAVENGORE's original Gardner 8L3 engines were rebuilt in 2006-2008 by Gardner specialists Gardner Marine Ltd., and they have subsequently been annually maintained by them.
- 2 x Gardner Twin 8L3 Diesels 152 hp @ 900 rpm
- Counter-rotating 43 inch 3-bladed bronze propellers
- Propellers refurbished by Clements Engineering, Bedford (2023)
- Cruising 8 knots; max 12 knots
- Range c. 6000 nautical miles

MECHANICAL ELECTRICAL
- 2 x Onan Generators

ELECTRICAL
- TBA

TANKAGE
Fuel
- 2 x 390 Gal fuel tanks outboard in engine room
Water
- 1 x Stainless steel fresh water tank (capacity TBA)
Holding
- Plastic grey water tank with deck pump out
- Plastic black water tank with deck pump out

NAVIGATION
- Magnetic steering compass
- Furuno radar
- Furuno Navnet C-Map NT Max 5 plotter

COMMUNICATIONS
- Furuno VHF radio
- Icom M5 VHF radio

MCA Coded with all relevant safety equipment

Churchill funeral in colour: https://www.transdiffusion.org/

- Warps
- Fenders.