[Bob S]

TSA Tugs TOWING WITCH (65/541) passing Tilbury (UK) during July 1994. Built as United Towing’s ENGLISHMAN, she became the Italian JUMBO PRIMO in 1981 and TOWING WITCH in 1994. She has since sank .

 

[Cadfael]

Many thanks for the photo of Towing Witch. I was engineer on her when she caught fire and was the only crew member who got burnt!. I don't think she sank at the time but was salvaged by a Russian tug. Various bits of fried machinery kept turning up at our other ships for a long time after.
Nice to see the old girl without the flames and exploding gas bottles.
Graham

 

[BillH]

ENGLISHMAN (7) (1965 - 1973)
O.N. 305784. 574g. 30n. 146'8" x 34'9" x 16'6"
Two, 6-cyl. 4 S. C. S. A. (12½" x 14½") 6ATCM type engines made by Ruston & Hornsby Ltd., Lincoln, single reverse reduction geared to twin screw shafts. 2,820 BHP. 35 tons bollard pull. 15kts.
12.8.1964: Keel laid by Cochrane & Sons Ltd., Selby (Yard No. 1497), for the United Towing Company Ltd., Hull. 21.11.1964: Launched. 17.4.1965: Completed. 5.1965: Delivered. 21.1.1970: Owners restyled as United Towing Ltd., Hull. 20.2.1973: Sold to United Towing (Englishman) Ltd., (United Towing (Ocean Tugs) Ltd., managers), Hull. 17.3.1978: Owners restyled as United Towing (Blake) Ltd. 1981: Sold to Societa Armamento Gestione Navi Agenzia Marittima S.r.L. (S.AR.GE.NAV), Italy, and renamed JUMBO PRIMO. 1994: Sold to T. S. A. Tugs Ltd., Leigh on Sea, Essex, and renamed TOWING WITCH. 4.6.1997: Whilst off the Azores, position 33.28N., 33.10W., suffered severe engine room fire damage. She was on a trans-Atlantic tow with two pontoon barges. Crew was taken off by DOLE EUROPA (10,584g./94) whilst the tug and tow were taken in tow by the Russian tug FOTIY KRYLOV and arrived at Punta Delgada on the 10th. Damage was extensive and tug was declared a total loss, being subsequently demolished at Lisbon.

 

[40907]

What caused the fire?

 

[Cadfael]

Many thanks. You told me more about what happened after the fire than I ever found out. I wasn't in a fit enough state to know what went on!

 

[Cadfael]

cause

What caused the fire?

Basically the chief was filling the diesel service tank with the sounding pipe cap off. Tank overflowed, all the rest followed.

 

[cueball44]

i was on the englishman when she got jammed under immingham oil terminal in 74,a girder went through the bridge door and also reduced the lifeboat\workboat to matchwood,an immingham tug tried to help us but got her bridge top sliced off like a boiled egg,got pulled out at slack water and taken to immingham,was also on her in the cod war. sad to hear what happend to her, w.hawker.

 

[keithsparks]

i was with you on englishman when it hit the immingham jetty what a farce i was the r.o keith appleyard now then winnie hows tricks long time no see

 

[cueball44]

i was with you on englishman when it hit the immingham jetty what a farce i was the r.o keith appleyard now then winnie hows tricks long time no see

hi keith,thanks for answering,66 now and live alone in my nice little bungallow near picky park,given up driving so i can use my legs a bit more,i have just come on this site and just trying to get used to it,i find it very interesting but will have to tear myself away from it to have a pot of tea,i hope you are in good health see you later, win.

 

[BillH]

i was on the englishman when she got jammed under immingham oil terminal in 74,a girder went through the bridge door and also reduced the lifeboat\workboat to matchwood,an immingham tug tried to help us but got her bridge top sliced off like a boiled egg,got pulled out at slack water and taken to immingham,was also on her in the cod war. sad to hear what happend to her, w.hawker.

Hi,

Would you by any chance remember which Immingham tug lost her wheelhouse roof?
My reason for asking is that I am currently finishing off and tidying up my history of the United Towing / Humber Tugs group and have not encountered any reference to this incident during my 20 odd years of digging and delving into old records.

Many thanks in advance

Bill

 

[cueball44]

Hi,

Would you by any chance remember which Immingham tug lost her wheelhouse roof?
My reason for asking is that I am currently finishing off and tidying up my history of the United Towing / Humber Tugs group and have not encountered any reference to this incident during my 20 odd years of digging and delving into old records.

Many thanks in advance

Bill

sorry bill i cant remember,must have been one of the lady tugs,after what happend to us i just remember seeing her spinning out of control then going underneath the jetty which took her top off january 74, win.

 

[BillH]

sorry bill i cant remember,must have been one of the lady tugs,after what happend to us i just remember seeing her spinning out of control then going underneath the jetty which took her top off january 74, win.

Thanks Win,

I was curious as the LADY SYBIL was an oddball in the fleet on the south bank in that she did not have a wheelhouse but an open bridge when I saw her. I presume she was built that way but was also open to the thought it may have been her and a that a decision had been taken to remove the rest after the roof was peeled.

regards
Bill

 

[keithsparks]

regarding the tug which went under the jetty at immingham coming to assist us on englishman i think the skipper or mate was called wally brown i sailed with him previously on marinia overseas towage tug the m8ind gets fuzzy after too much tetley bitter regards to all keith

 

[decky74]

shame about the old girl, sailed on her five times in the 70s, had some good times on her. skip was lorry shep, passed away last week, good tugman.

 

[cueball44]

cueball44

shame about the old girl, sailed on her five times in the 70s, had some good times on her. skip was lorry shep, passed away last week, good tugman.

hi dave, i can't remember if we met, but was you on the 'ENGLISHMAN' when she hit the immingham oil terminal?,and was you on it in the cod war?, win hawker. ps, sorry to hear about skipper shep.

 

[decky74]

hi bill. no l was on the ENGLISHMAN between 74 -79, mostly north sea tows, first ive heard of it , immingham sounds a bit of a farce, I dident sail in the cod war, but my old man did, he was skipper on the first tug to go ther, STATESMAN I, regards Dave,

 

[cueball44]

hi bill. no l was on the ENGLISHMAN between 74 -79, mostly north sea tows, first ive heard of it , immingham sounds a bit of a farce, I dident sail in the cod war, but my old man did, he was skipper on the first tug to go ther, STATESMAN I, regards Dave,

hi dave, its win not bill,you must have joined 'englishman' after she had been repaired, it was a farce, but we were lucky to escape without casualty's after been trapped under those pipes full of 'naptha' i think, for x number of hours,the skippers name was 'john de barr' i joined 'statesman' after that, the trip we lost 'peter boulton' AND THAT WAS A B***S UP if ever i saw one, i woke him up just before he went, win hawker.

 

[RayJordandpo]

I did a few trips on 'Englishman', one of them a seven monther based in Singapore. We had a good crew and had some great laughs. Some of the crowd I remember, Arthur King, Fred Clarke, Charlie Boxhall, Brian Chapman, Sam? (navigator) Alan Keeping, Pete Hemmerman, Tim Turner, Pete? (2nd eng.) and a few more I can't remember.

 

[Cobbydale]

Hi Ray,
Did you know Tony Iveson..?

 

[peteb]

I did a few trips on 'Englishman', one of them a seven monther based in Singapore. We had a good crew and had some great laughs. Some of the crowd I remember, Arthur King, Fred Clarke, Charlie Boxhall, Brian Chapman, Sam? (navigator) Alan Keeping, Pete Hemmerman, Tim Turner, Pete? (2nd eng.) and a few more I can't remember.

Photo of Charlie Boxall and Arthur King in the Gallery Members Faces.
Regards Pete.