Builders: Hepple & Co North Shields 1884
Propulsion type: Paddle single cylinder
Owners: R Batey & Son
Service dates: 1884 - 19??
Tonnage: Gross 109
Comments:
This is not a pleasure boat but I like this picture, which comes from a postcard kindly given to me by Robin Harley. R Batey & Son were based in Newcastle upon Tyne, although the John Batey was registered at Montrose. There was a seasonal grain trade between Montrose and the Baltic ports and the John Batey regularly sailed from Newcastle to Montrose to assist in towage. She was also a regular visitor to Ramsgate, often as a standby tug or reserve for the Board of Trade owned tug Aid, which was Ramsgate's port and Lifeboat Tug at that time. This commenced for eleven weeks in 1894 and she returned several times for similar duty until 1913. On her way back to Newcastle in 1909 she went ashore for a time but was safely refloated and returned to normal service.
My thanks go to Michael Cates and Michael Hunt of the East Kent Maritime Trust for the narrative information on this steamer.