RFA Freshspring
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RFA ''Freshspring'' was a Fresh-class water tank vessel of the
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
. She survives in civilian hands as SS ''Freshspring'', the last surviving example of the Fresh-class ships. The last of fourteen ships, she was used to carry fresh water out to larger ships. She is listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels maintained by
National Historic Ships National Historic Ships UK is a government-funded independent organisation that advises UK governments and others on matters relating to historic ships.
.


Working career

''Freshpring'' was the last of the Fresh-class vessels to be built, and was launched by Lytham Shipbuilding & Engineering Company,
Lytham St Annes Lytham St Annes () is a seaside town in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is on the The Fylde, Fylde coast, directly south of Blackpool on the Ribble Estuary. The population at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 42,954 ...
,
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
on 15 August 1946. Following initial trials, she sailed to
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, replacing one of her sister ships which had been sunk during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Originally coal fired by hand, she was converted while in Malta to burn heavy fuel oil, with oil burners being fitted in each of the three furnaces in the
Scotch boiler A "Scotch" marine boiler (or simply Scotch boiler) is a design of steam boiler best known for its use on ships. The general layout is that of a squat horizontal cylinder. One or more large cylindrical furnaces are in the lower part of the boiler ...
. Completing around 15 years service in Malta she was repatriated to the UK, working around
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
and the west coast of Scotland for the Port Auxiliary Service. In 1969 she was surveyed and refitted at Ardrossan, then towed to
Gareloch The Gare Loch or Gareloch ( gd, An Gearr Loch) is an open sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland and bears a similar name to the village of Gairloch in the north west Highlands. The loch is well used for recreational boating, water sports and f ...
where she remained possibly laid-up out of service. In 1977 she was put up for sale and was sold two years later for a
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
company to evaluate alternative ship fuels, which is where it is thought she was last in steam. Following vandalism and theft in Bristol, which saw the loss of equipment from the wheelhouse such as the
telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
, she was moved to Newnham on Severn where she remained until 2016.


Preservation

''Freshspring''s condition deteriorated while lying on the banks of the
River Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...
at Newnham. In 2011, two holes appeared in her hull, the plating became very pitted and she foundered in the mud. Her machinery remained in excellent condition though, with her engine room, steam steering gear and accommodation areas intact, although the galley and officers' quarters have been dismantled. In 2013 a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), The Steamship Freshspring Society, was formed to preserve and operate Freshspring. In April 2016 the SS Freshspring Society obtained a National Memorial Heritage Fund grant of £155,000 to remove the ship from Newnham on Severn to a dry dock in Sharpness for essential repairs and tow the ship to a new permanent mooring in Bideford. The ''Freshspring'' left Newnham on Severn on 6 July 2016 and arrived in Bideford on 16 October 2016. Since then a great deal of work has been undertaken on the ship to enhance its appearance and restore machinery to working order. In December 2017 the Society obtained a Lottery grant to restore the wheelhouse, carry out repairs to the decking and other parts of the ship and employ an Education Officer for two years. The Education Officer's role is to devise a programme of visits to and from educational establishments and open the ship to the public. In 2018 the restored wheelhouse was in place and the ship hosted over 1200 students, many returning during the holiday period with their parents. During 2019 work on maintaining and enhancing the ship continued. There is now a wind and PV powered electrical system, new planking on the upper deck and many areas below and above deck have been repainted and restored. During the year the society obtained / borrowed on long term loan several items of the type used on ''Freshspring'' including wheels, binnacle, radio and an intercom. At the Society's AGM it was agreed that the organisation would be re-named the Steamship Freshspring Trust. In November 2019 a Crowdfunding appeal was launched to fund an awning to cover the forward deck and this appeal successfully concluded in January 2020. The awning is expected to be in place by the end of March 2020.


Notes


References

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External links


SS ''Freshspring'' official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freshspring Tankers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary 1946 ships Steamships Ships and vessels on the National Register of Historic Vessels