Helen | National Historic Ships

Registration number 2279

Status Registered

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Details

Function Service Vessel

Subfunction Tug

Location Stourbridge

Vessel type Canal Tug

Current use Private use

Available to hire No

Available for excursions No

Construction

Builder Harris Brothers, Netherton

Built in 1941

Hull material Steel

Rig None

Number of decks 1

Propulsion Motor

Number of engines 1

Primary engine type Inboard diesel

Boiler type None

Boilermaker None

Dimensions

Breadth: Beam

7.00 feet (2.14m)

Depth

3.00 feet (0.92m)

Length: Overall

51.00 feet (15.56m)

History

Built in 1941 by Harris Brothers of Bumblehole, Netherton, HELEN is a canal tug of riveted steel construction with a Bolinder diesel engine model 1053. She was built for Joseph Holloway & Co. Ltd of Oldbury to pull coal boats around the Birmingham Canal Navigations. This traffic stopped in the mid 1960s and she was bought privately to pull passenger boats on the Caldon Canal. During this time she was lengthened to 51 foot and a higher superstructure put on.

HELEN changed hands in 1999 and was bought by her present owner in 2007. He repainted the vessel in her original Holloway livery in 2011. HELEN is one of the few remaining Birmingham tugs built by Harris Brothers.

Key dates

1941
Built by Harris Bros of Bumblehole, Netherton as a Canal Tug for Joseph Holloway & Co Ltd
1941-45
She pulled coal boats around Birmingham Canal
1945
She was sold to Leonard Leigh Ltd
1965
She stopped working when coal traffic stopped
1970
She was bought privately and pulled a Passenger Boat on the Caldon Canal
1999
New owners
2007
New owners