Name Sun Risen

SUN RISEN is a motor barge originally built by WJ. Yarwood and Sons Ltd in Northwich for J. Bannatyne & Sons Ltd in Co. Limerick, Ireland.  Her keel was laid in December 1923 and she was launched in October 1924.

She was sold to the South Ireland Transport Co. Ltd in March 1931, and sold again, to TS. Townsend & Sons Ltd of the Albion Flour Mills in 1934.  In 1937, when loaded with wheat from Avonmouth and bound for Worcester, she struck a submerged object and lost all her propeller blades.  In July 1961 she was towed to Worcester, and later sold to the Upper Mersey Navigation Commissioners at Runcorn for £500.  She was converted to be a Buoy Tender, including the fitting of a new 6cylinder Gardner engine.  Her propeller was repaired, and new bottom plates and riveting installed at Manchester Dry Docks.

At the start of 1963 she was renamed JESSE WALLWORK II.  With the closure of the Upper Mersey Navigation to shipping in March 1973 she was sold to the Manchester Ship Canal Co. Around 1992 she was sold again, this time to the Salveson Diving Co. Ltd of Liverpool and renamed SALVOR.  In 1995 the company went into receivership and she was sold to Mr K. Birchall of Liverpool.

In August 1994 she was sold to the Samuel Cockcroft Co. Ltd, Worsted Spinners of Bradford, when she was re-named SUN RISEN and re-registered to Liverpool.  In October 1997 she was sold to Mr Sam Bemrose of Somerset and converted into a residential boat.  In September 1999 she was sold to Linda Hird of London, and in February 2016 she was resold to her present owner and relocated to Faversham.

SUN RISEN celebrates the centenary of her launch in October 2024, and her current owner has just completed a 9 year external renovation project. The decks are chipped, wire brushed, sanded and coated, and the wheelhouse, hatches, funnel, bollards have all had a makeover.