Details
Construction
Dimensions
History
The steam yacht CAROLA was built in 1898 by Scott & Sons Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Bowling, on the Clyde, for personal use of the Scott family, who owned her until 1959, when ownership passed to the company. She carried the family on holiday cruises, including annual visits to the family's summer home at Colintrave on the Kyles of Bute. She also took groups of senior yard staff on Clyde cruises, whilst in the winter months she served as a tender and tug.
During the Second World War, she was fitted with fire-fighting apparatus and a steam-driven fire pump to serve as a fire tender at the yard. In the 1950s, she broke away from her mooring on the River Leven and was blown ashore. Subsequently, she fell into a semi-derelict state and was sold in 1964 to a private owner, who kept her at Garelochhead and on the River Leven. He maintained her until 1970, when she was sold and for a time berthed at Bucklers Hard on the Lymington River.
In 1981, she was sold to a marine company called Plysosene, of Southwater, Sussex, and refitted for use as a promotional and corporate hospitality vessel. In 1990, ownership passed to Z-Guard Zinc Anodes Ltd, also of Southwater, Sussex. In 1992, the lower mudhole door on the boiler failed, filling the engine-room with steam and tragically killing two crewmen. Later in the 1990s, CAROLA was acquired by the Scottish Maritime Museum for display at Irvine. The funnel and hull are now painted in the original colours of cream and black respectively. Source: Paul Brown, Historic Ships The Survivors (Amberley, 2010), updated Feb 2011.
Significance
What is the vessel’s ability to demonstrate history in her physical fabric? The vessel’s hull is largely original, although there has been some re-plating and she retains her original steam engine. CAROLA was a fine working example of a small steam yacht until a boiler accident caused two deaths in her engine room in 1992 and, following her acquisition by the Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine, little has been done to maintain her until she was removed from the water recently. It is felt that, as one of the few steam yachts to have retained her original steam plant and to have been in continuous use for almost 100 years, she is a rare survivor. What are the vessel’s associational links for which there is no physical evidence? CAROLA was built by and for the well-known Scott family of shipbuilders and remained in their ownership until 1957. She was initially used for leisure cruises and as a working example of the standard of luxury vessels that Scott’s were capable of designing and building. How does the vessel’s shape or form combine and contribute to her function? CAROLA’s straight stem and other practical features reflect that as well as being used for pleasure by the Scott family, she also doubled up as a work boat in the yard where she was used as a tender and tug in the winter months. Source: George Hogg, Registration Sub Committee, National Historic Ships Date: May 2011
Key dates
- 1898 Built Bowling by Scott & Sons as a private steam yacht for the Scott Family
- 1898-1939 Personal use by the Scott family including annual visits to the family's summer home at Colintrave on the Kyles of Bute. She also took groups of senior yard staff on Clyde cruises, whilst in the winter months she served as a tender and tug.
- 1939-1945 Fitted with fire-fighting apparatus and a steam-driven fire pump to serve as a fire tender at the yard
- 1950s Broke away from her mooring on the River Leven and was blown ashore. Subsequently, she fell into a semi-derelict state
- 1964 Sold to a private owner, who kept her at Garelochhead and on the River Leven
- 1970 Sold to a private owner and for a time berthed at Bucklers Hard on the Lymington River
- 1981 Sold to Plysosene of Southwater, Sussex, and extensively refitted for use as a promotional and corporate hospitality vessel
- 1990 Ownership passed to Z-Guard Zinc Anodes Ltd, also of Southwater, Sussex
- 1992 The access flap to the boiler failed, filling the engine-room with steam and tragically killing two crewmen
- 1994 Acquired by the Scottish Maritime Museum for display at Irvine. The funnel and hull were re-painted in the original colours of cream and black
- 2011 Vessel slipped at Irvine and work started to repair and make watertight the deck area
Grants
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April - September 2012
A Sustainability Grant of £1000 for hull repairs was made from the Strategic Development Fund of National Historic Ships
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1993
The National Heritage Memorial Fund awarded £50,000 for the acquiaition of this vessel
Sources
Norman J Brouwer, International Register of Historic Ships (Edition 2, 1993, pp140-1) pub: Anthony Nelson
Steamboat Register: An illustrated Register of surviving steam vessels in the British Isles (May Edition 6, 1994) pub: Steam Boat Association of Great Britain
Nic Compton, Classic Boat (December, 1995, pp41-3) Cajuns on the Loch
Own this vessel?
If you are the owner of this vessel and would like to provide more details or updated information, please contact info@nationalhistoricships.org.uk
