Category:Rochester Queen (ship, 1935)

Ship

• Type: Passenger ship
• Built by: Warren's New Holland Shipyard on the Humber
• Completion date: 1935
• Length overall 39.6 m
• GRT: 227
• Passengers: 475 on a Class 3 Certificate.
• Main engine: National Gas & Oil Company of Ashton-under-Lyne
• Speed: 13.5 kn

History

• 1935 Named: Coronia for Jack Ellis Flag: United Kingdom
• 1937 Second funnel (dummy) mounted, colour: Yellow, later red with black top.
• During the war she was HMS Coronia in the Humber, in Scotland and on the South Coast, latterly as part of Force Pluto which laid and maintained the cross-channel oil pipelines. The dummy funnel had been removed.
• 1945 Refitted
• 07.1945 Returning to Scarborough
• 1951 Sold after the death of Jack Ellis to Jack Johnson, with his son Martin
• 1966 Sold to Croson Ltd of Bournemouth. A pale blue funnel and black top, separated by a broad white band. The hull was white with red boot topping.
• 05.1968 Renamed: Bournemouth Queen Ran cruises from Poole via Bournemouth to the Isle of Wight and occasionally Southampton.
• 1973 Sold to Sir Robert McAlpine. Renamed: Queen of Scots Used as the ferry between Rothesay and the oil rig construction site at Ardyne Point.
• 15.07.1977 Chartered to replace the paddle steamer Waverley, which ran aground off Dunoon, and was withdrawn for repairs. Maintained services for the season. The following years continued Clyde cruising under the ownership of B&B Cruising, but this company was forced into bankruptcy in 1980.
• 1980 Laid up
• 1982 Sold to the London restaurateur David Law and moved under tow to Gravesend.
• 1982 Refitted and renamed: Rochester Queen Her engines were removed, and are now in the Science Museum in London.
• 1993 The restaurant failed
• 1994 Sold and moved to the Medway Yacht Club as a floating club house on the River Medway.