Last revised 26 March 2005
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TEESSHIPS
A FAVOURITE
SHIP
SIRIUS
More plagiarism!
This came from Barrie's Humber Maritime site with the photograph being from Fritz Janse.
This attractive vessel is now in use in Holland for recreational purposes and when it transpired she was the SIRIUS which had started life as the EUROPA back in 1927, my mind also went back in time (not quite so far!!) to 8 August 1962 when, during a river trip on the Tyne, I had seen the self-same vessel during her commercial service; even then albeit already 35 years old.
Looking back my hazy memory was of seeing a white or light-hulled coaster with tall masts passing us. The reality, however, would seem to have been this!:
I rediscovered this photo tonight while doing a bit of tidying up!! This was a print I picked up, along with others, while I was at the WSS AGM in Rotterdam in 1995. For various reasons when I first checked it out I was satisfied it did show my SIRIUS. Comparison with the present-day shot above bears this out.
At the time I saw her she was owned by Chr. Vos (hence the merged CV on the funnel emblem) and registered in Groningen, a diminutive 191gt. I have her recorded as converted for side-fishing purposes in 1977.
Of course, there were, and no doubt still are, several vessels called SIRIUS in the Register. For some reason back in 1962 I decided she was a Philippine vessel of 558gt built in 1944 - since when has anyone in the UK seen a Philippine registered coaster?!! It was several years later when the Register belatedly caught up with the fact she had been renamed sometime before 1962 that I realised the error of my ways. It took a letter to the Tyne Harbour Master to clarify matters.
10.10.02: And George Robinson saw my old favourite at Stellendam during September 2002.
16.12.03: Among a spate of interesting
photos showing on Riversea International (George Robinson) [see
LINKS page] is this view by Charlie Hill of the SIRIUS on the
River Ouse.
26.03.05: And again from Riversea International, this time from the collection of Richard Cox:
