''Steam Pinnace 199'' is a steam pinnace of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, built in 1909 by J. Reid of

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

. She is now owned by the

National Museum of the Royal Navy The National Museum of the Royal Navy was created in early 2009 to act as a single non-departmental public body for the museums of the Royal Navy. With venues across the United Kingdom, the museums detail the history of the Royal Navy operating ...

, and is based at

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is an area of HM Naval Base Portsmouth which is open to the public; it contains several historic buildings and ships. It is managed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy as an umbrella organization representing ...

History

During its restoration, the ship was misidentified and it became known as ''Steam Pinnace 199''. However, it was later determined that the ship's machinery originated from pinnaces ''208'' and ''224'', and that its hull, stern cabin, and funnel also came from ''224''. Despite these findings, the name ''Steam Pinnace 199'' was retained. ''Steam Pinnace 224'' was built in 1909, and was assigned to the

battlecruiser The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of att ...

in 1916. It was sold out of the Royal Navy on 6 August 1948, and in 1952 she was sold to a private owner, renamed ''Treleague'', and was converted into a

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily for regular dwelling. Most houseboats are not motorized, as they are usually moored or kept stationary, fixed at a Berth (moorings), berth, and often tethered to ...

located on the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

. During this time its steam machinery was removed, and replaced by a

petrol Gasoline (North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When formul ...

engine. After serving as a houseboat for about 20 years, she was purchased by an antiques dealer who intended to restore her. However, the project was deemed too expensive and its hull was sold to the

in 1979.

Restoration

She was restored by a group called the Steam Launch Restoration Group, based in

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hampshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 70,131 and the district had a pop ...

. In 1983, she was given a boiler and compound engine from a similar steam pinnace, found at the Royal Navy shore establishment . Her original steam auxiliary engines were found at a yard in Belgium. During her restoration, the ship was given a replacement Hotchkiss 3-pounder gun dating from 1887, and salvaged from the sea by a trawler in 1980. The gun has been restored cosmetically; however, it is not functional and the inside of the barrel is corroded. The ship was finally recommissioned in 1984, and was kept in the Mast Pond of

until 1998, when she was brought to Gosport for a refit. From 1999 to 2001 her machinery was given a major refurbishment. Since then, she has taken place in many events such as the International Festival of the Sea, the Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival and the Southampton Boat Show. In May 2011, she developed leaks in her boiler tubes and was transported to the Maritime Workshop in February 2012. She was given a refit, and she was relaunched in 2015. ''Steam Pinnace 199'' is preserved afloat in Boathouse 4 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Notes

References

External links

A video showing restoration work on Steam Pinnace 199
{{Oldest surviving ships (pre-1919) 1909 ships Ships and vessels of the National Historic Fleet Pinnaces Ships built in Portsmouth