Chartroom

摘要

I was interested to read Derek Simpson's letter stating that historic ships matter (SM, Sept) and agree with the content. As he says, operating historic ships is difficult and costly. My only involvement is with the steam tug Portwey, and with coal now nudging £300 a ton this is an expensive business. It takes one ton to raise steam alone, so we can only afford to make three weekend outings year. To sail on Portwey is a magical experience, with the two main engines running like well-oiled sewing machines. In addition, there are five other steam engines providing power for the winch, dynamo, steering and salvage and fire pumps. Portwey also possesses a three-toned steam whistle, which can be heard at a distance of two and a half miles.