The
steam tug Challenge, which took part in the rescue of 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk in 1940, has had an eventful life. She faced the scrapyard on occasions, but thanks to the dedication of volunteers, has been painstakingly restored and refitted, and will mark the 75th anniversary of Dunkirk.
Carl Pisani MSc CEng FIMechE first came to know of Challenge while he was a Marine Engineering Cadet in East London. He saw the tug in St Katherine’s Dock in the late 1970s and felt a spark of interest in the ship, which was then showing significant signs of deterioration.
Many years later the spark was reignited. Carl now works for Ricardo UK Ltd in Shoreham-by-Sea. He responded to a call for volunteers to work on restoration of the tug, moored in Shoreham harbour. He joined Chief Engineer Clive Purser and the team, whose huge range of maritime experience contributed to an extensive overhaul of the ship.
Now, Carl is calling on members of the engineering community to support the ship’s future: she is an ideal vessel for engineers young and old to acquire knowledge from, and where they can invest their skills and experience.
Challenge was built in Aberdeen in 1931. In 1940 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty, along with a multitude of other ‘little ships’, to rescue British and French troops from Dunkirk, in Operation Dynamo.
After the war she was converted from coal to oil firing, and undertook more years’ service, predominantly around the Thames Estuary. She was the last steam tug with an operational triple expansion steam engine delivering 1150 hp on the Thames, but faced being scrapped in 1974.
In 1993 the Dunkirk Little Ships Restoration Trust (DLSRT) took ownership of Challenge, restoring and exhibiting her, and she is preserved as a testament to the history she represents. Challenge is listed alongside the Cutty Sark and HMS Victory in the
National Historic Ships register.
The mammoth task of restoration took place over many years in Tilbury Docks, Marchwood and Shoreham, thanks to a substantial – and vital – grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), and a further HLF grant, which enabled boiler replacement. Challenge’s survival is also testament to the dedication of many volunteers. She has participated in maritime shows and festivals around the country, which helps the tug to earn her keep.
Carl said: “Working on a large renovation project is great for training and experience. On Challenge I have taken part in a wide range of processes, from dry docking the vessel to assist in X-raying the ship’s hull; and working to refurbish the main and big end bearings with the Chief Engineer. I refurbished steam winches and all other plant machinery and associated systems; and supplier-sourced and assisted with the installation of the diesel generators.”
Having volunteered much time with Challenge for four years, Carl is urgently appealing to members to get involved, to ensure that Challenge is ship-shape for her celebratory trip in May, under the auspices of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS). She will be sailing as part of the 75th Anniversary Return to Dunkirk in a fleet escorted by the Royal Navy and RNLI.
Challenge was recently moved 60 miles away to Southampton’s Queen Elizabeth Dock. Sadly, given the distance, Challenge’s long-serving Shoreham team of restorers and volunteers are less able to bestow their expertise on the tug.
Carl hopes to encourage Southampton regional members to take the opportunity, this Spring, to find out more about this classic symbol of engineering heritage. Local people, including engineers, Institution members and students, can learn from ST Challenge’s history and channel their engineering knowledge into the preparations for this much-loved ship’s anniversary sail, and support beyond this.
The tug must earn her keep by port visits and attracting the public aboard, to cover insurance, hull examinations and general maintenance. Charitable
donations will also be a vital part of her funding stream.
Following May’s Dunkirk excursion, Challenge is likely to be moored in London alongside other historical steam vessels in the Royal Docks and, it is hoped, she will continue to be a tourist attraction.
Get involved
ST Challenge is recruiting volunteers in the Southampton area, visit the
ST Challenge website to find out how to volunteer or to make a
donation.