I used to own a 90 foot long tugboat that was built in 1919. I bought it from gulf oil in Houston texas who had maintained it very well. The boat is still working at 103 years old. Iron boats last practically for ever.
@@SeverEnergia i was born into it. My fathers half brother who was 24 years older than him went to work at foss tug and barge CO. In 1928. If your from the west coast you would know foss as its the largest tug out fit. My father went to work for foss in 1950 at the age of 17. Also my uncle married the niece of foss founder henery foss. My dad bought an old tug from foss that was built of wood in 1912 but repowerd with a heavy duty low RPM diesel in 1942. After he had worked at foss for 25 years they wanted to give his harbor job to someone with less seniority and have him work on an ocean going tug. He said no way and with the tug he had bought and restored 6 years earlier decided to use it to go into business for him self and found a barge to buy and we worked in southeast Alaska hauling logging equipment for 3 years and then we went back to tacoma and started taking jobs from foss mainly hauling sand and gravel for a concrete mixing plant and it grew from there to 6 tugs and a 12 thousand barrel petroleum barge. Its a long story but it ended up going bankrupt and now at 66 i live on a small social security check. We went to work in Alaska when i was one year out of high school so it was about the only thing I ever did. I regret nothing it was a magnificent experience.
I recall reading about the efforts to bring back to Bristol, and eventually it was achieved by securing the ship onto a raft, and towing to Bristol, that was in 1971,and we had the opportunity of seeing the ship, in her dock, the public were actually viewing the ship, but it looked very unsafe, so we just viewed from the dockside.
Studied the Falklands War for almost 40 years now, but never heard this story. Of all the places she could have been left to rot.... Quite a feat to have brought her home to be refitted and put on display. RFA Sir Tristram brought back in a similar manner after being severely damaged during the war with Argentina.
Seeing that film today is amazing. Grew up 150 miles from Bristol (Stoke on Trent) and remember coming down to the South West as a Boy Scout and being taken around the SS Great Britain a few years after she had been brought home. I thought then, how dangerous it was, as it has so many holes in it. Forty years later I live in Bristol and see her everyday, fortunately a lot from ^he water as I row in the local gig crew. For those who have any interest in her, seeing her in this film and seeing her now shows the commitment and vision of a dedicated group as she is magnificent now.
@@richardclarke3924 I visited her a few days ago. I had no idea she'd been abandoned in the Falklands and the story of her recovery and refurb is superb
