I used this title over four years ago here, although in that case, I wrote about a South African vessel in the sixth boro.

I offer this post partly as a study of how ship preservation is happening in another port city on the Atlantic, almost 8000 miles away.  South African Railway and Harbours (SAR & H) had Alwyn Vintcent built in Italy in the late 1950s as part of an order of five.  Find a brief  history here, but basically, she retired in 1983;  from 1991 until 2001 she operated as a steam excursion tug in Cape Town.   Her future then became uncertain.   A farmers group (most of the site is in Afrikaans ) (this one is in English) purchased her in 2010 or 2011 and is now preparing to move her 60+ miles inland for restoration and eventual use on a freshwater reservoir.

To make the trek inland, the superstructure must be cut down to a maximum of 14′ .  Stack goes first.  See more fotos and English text of this prep-to-trek here.

Vessel also needs to be lightened.

Although the road trip is schedule for May 2012, all’s not well until it’s well.  In the mid-1980s, another group attempt to preserve Alwyn’s sister ship J. E. Eaglesham by moving her inland.

The trip was sucessful, but later she was scrapped.   More fotos of that trek are here.

Part of what sent me on this virtual South African foray was learning yesterday from a reader there named Colin that bark Europa was currently in Cape Town preparing to voyage up to St Malo, and berths were still available.   The St. Malo voyage will make stops in Ascension and Azores.   More info on 1911 bark Europa here.

For other historical South African vessels, click here.  A mix of current and historical can be found here.

May is National Preservation Month.

All fotos used with permission.