Gosport Ferry boats Ferry King and Vadne

[John Evans 8Participant @johnevans8]

Does anybody out there have good clear photos of any of the old Gosport steam ferryboats in their prime? I've already viewed the Simplon website and possess all the books that include pictures of them. What I'm after is sufficient detail to build two accurate full-hull models of Ferry King and Vadne.



I've already ascertained there are no lines drawings for Ferry King, although there is a portfolio of other drawings for the vessel held by the National Maritime Museum – I enquired and copies are available, but they're prohibitively expensive. I've contacted the vessel's present owner in Ireland and hope he'll be able to assist me. A great help in building Vadne would be access to the photos and measurements of Ferry Prince taken by W.A. Brewer when he built the model featured in Model Shipwright Vol.II No.1 Autumn 1973. He was stated in the article as being a member of the Greenwich and District Ship Modelling Society. Can anyone out there put me in touch with him or his club – or, considering the time that's passed, his and the club's heirs or successors?



I've recently been told that Model Boats August 1983 issue contained an article on Richard Webb's model of the Varos. Has anybody out there got a spare copy for sale? And can you tell me whether or not the Webb plan includes details of the original superstructure before the vessel was converted to diesel power?

Any and all details will be welcomed by this ol' Turk Town boy – cheers!

[John Evans 8Participant @johnevans8]

[Andy HustlerParticipant @andyhustler32076]

This might sound a bit obvious BUT have you contacted gosport museum as i used to live in gosport and travel across to work in HMS Nelson , i was a civvy cook, and got the ferry every day back and for to work and on the rare occasion the night boat

Good luck

Andy from Cardiff

[John Evans 8Participant @johnevans8]

Thanks for the suggestion, Andy. Gosport Museum is my next port of call for information, I'll be visiting friends and relatives soon and will look in while I'm there.

Cameras were fewer and less handy in the days of the steam ferry boats than now and, as many people didn't photograph their everyday surroundings but took them for granted (and still do), the same few photos that were taken show up again and again in various publications. That's why I'm trying to find out what happened to Mr. Brewer's photos and measurements records, they're possibly the most comprehensive and accurate data ever taken from one of the vessels actually in service and it would a shame if they disappeared. I'd like a good long look at his model too . . .

And possibly I'll be able to write a paper specifically on the old boats if I can gather enough gen. Here's hoping.

[David KeechParticipant @davidkeech15386]

Hi John, I too am an old Turk Town boy and I congratulate you on the Vadne photos, they are excellent. They are a great help towards building a great model of one of the old steam ferry's. On reading your blog about the Gosport steam ferry's, I obtained a copy of Model Boats August 1983 from Ebay. The plan MM1350 of Varos, is still available from Model Boats archives. The article is very good and explains how the model was built. The plan shows both the original steam version and the later diesel superstructure. In the article both tops were made and the model can be either the steam or the diesel version. When I can afford it, I will probably buy the plan myself. As you know, there is not much info on these lovely old steam boats that we all used every day back in the 50's and 60's. I would like someone to tell me the full size length and the beam of these boats. Any sugestions?

Super photo's John, best of luck.

[John Evans 8Participant @johnevans8]

I'm glad you liked the photos, David. Here's a link to the Facebook album where you'll find more of them:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.393462837355975.77421.100000767869530&type=1&l=a456756c05

You don't need a Facebook account to view them, just click on the link.

The two best books I've found that describe the Gosport Ferry are 'It's Shorter by Water' by ex-Gosport Ferry Ltd. director Michael Wright, 2001, Anglesbury Press, Bournemouth and 'Crossing the Harbour' by Lesley Burton and Brian Musselwhite, 1987, Milestone Publications, Portsmouth, ISBN 1-85265-103-2. Wright's book includes a sectional profile of the steam launch Venus that states her length as 24 metres, beam 6 metres, draught 2 metres. She was powered by a Plenty triple expansion S.C. engine (10" – 21" x 12" stroke, 200 IHP at 225 rpm) driving a single screw propeller. The drawing is stated to be from original plans held at the Naional Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Right, now let's see if my parlous finances will run to that plan of the Varos – cheers!

[John Evans 8Participant @johnevans8]

Ah, it seems you'll have to copy and paste the link into your favoured browser.

[David KeechParticipant @davidkeech15386]

Hi John, Many thanks indeed for the info on the old ferry. I originally picked up your blog on Ships nostalgia web page, by just browsing Gosport Steam Ferry, one day. The plan of MM1350 is actually on myhobbystore/plans and is £17.50. I have just ordered a copy. I can't wait for it to arrive!

I wanted to find the true size of the real boat, so to check the scale before building. Roger Curtis, of the Guildford model engineers club, has made an excellent model of Venus and was dislayed in the Sandown model engineers show at Esher last year. I hope he doesn't mind my mentioning it.

I am a member of the Portsmouth & District model power boat club. I run my boats on the local shows that we attend. It is great fun. Anyway, I have been trying to get the dimensions for months, thank you very much indeed. I think that the Varos plan is the only one that I have heard of and can afford, even if I tweek it a bit. I shall have to buy a copy of the book "It's shorter by water".

Many thaks, John and best of luck!

[John Evans 8Participant @johnevans8]

And thanks to you, David, for telling me about Roger Curtis and his model of Venus, I'd like to see that model and ask him how he built it.

The revised updated edition of 'It's Shorter By Water' is available direct from Gosport Ferry Company Ltd, for £7.50 plus £1.10 p&p. Here's their website address:
**LINK**

All the best.

[Author]

Posts