Dateline: London’s Royal Docks – Sunday 10th December 2023
After nearly 12½ years the SS ROBIN steam coaster and it’s attendant pontoon the ROBIN II are leaving the Royal Docks to a new, permanent, mooring at the mouth of Bow Creek at Trinity Buoy Wharf (TBW) and quite a bit closer to the site of the Orchard House Yard where the SS ROBIN was built.
The ROBIN and LIGHTSHIP 93 are both having to move as the jetty at which they have been berthed is to be demolished to make way for the new Royal Victoria Dock low-level bridge which is due to be built as part of the Silvertown Quays redevelopment.
The mooring outside the Millennium Mills building was only meant to be a temporary arrangement pending the establishment of a permanent location at the Western end of Royal Victoria Dock.
For a variety of reasons the move never happened and the lack of suitable public access at the jetty (an abandoned and broken bit of the the former dock infrastructure) meant that only occasional, pre-booked and escorted, tours could take place which in turn limited income generating and restoration activities.
As the SS ROBIN is moving to a tidal berth on Bow Creek some preparatory works were required (including checking to for unexploded ordnance) and the installation of two mooring piles to which the ROBIN II pontoon will be connected and a gangway to the shore.
To support these works Thamescraft Dry Docking Services tug FELIX brought in Topbond PLC’s Jack-Up Barge TOPJACK complete with crane and just over a week later the tug DEVOUT brought in the two mooring piles by barge.
On Saturday 9th December 2023 tugs HAVEN SUPPORTER and ASSASSIN entered the Royal Docks and headed to the SS ROBIN to undertake preparations for the tow the following day.
A pre-dawn departure from Royal Victoria Dock saw the entourage make it’s way through the Docks and line up for entry to the KGV Lock via the Bascule Bridge.
A short stay in the Lock and then the ROBIN was moved out on to the Thames to head the short distance to Trinity Buoy Wharf.
Despite high hopes when the ROBIN arrived at the Royal Docks of the museum ship / educational centre developing in to a cultural attraction for such an important piece of London built maritime heritage it was not to be – hopefully it fares better at TBW.
A bit more about the SS ROBIN in the Royal Docks can be seen here but the sun has probably set on the SS ROBIN for the last time in the Royal Docks.
A full set of images can be seen here.
Dock, Lock and River Blog (#dlr_blog) 