Concrete tug 'Cretehauser' was built in 1919, gutted in 1935 for use as an emergency
breakwater and beached on the River Wear in 1942.
Cretehawser was launched at Southwick in March 1919,
262 tons, 720 horsepower.
One of twelve powerful, single screw ferro-concrete vessels ordered by the Admiralty in 1918, made due to a steel shortage. Cretehawser was the first to be built in Sunderland by Wear Concrete Building Company Limited, a subsidiary of Swan Hunter.
It was badly damaged during a World War Two air raid and subsequently towed upriver for safety.
Its current position was as far as it would go before it sank. It is now a useful roost for
riverside birds.
Of the other eleven only two remain, one is a hulk in the River Moy, Ballina, Eire.
The other was converted to part of the marine facilities on the River Moy at Carlingford in Eire.
Grateful thanks to Justin for the River Moy photo!
The other concrete ships were either wrecked or broken up.
A dug out canoe was discovered in 1885 on the bed of the River Wear on the Washington boundary beside Toby's Gill.
It is believed to be over 4,000 years old. It is a solid trunk of an oak tree which has been
chipped and burned out.
The first three decker ever built was the Royal Sovereign in 1635.
It was designed by Phineas Pett and built on the banks of the River Wear. Timber from the oak woods of Biddick, Picktree and Chopwell was used.
Royal Sovereign was 1653 tons, had 100 guns and a crew of 815.
City Of Adelaide was a full rigged passenger clipper ship, launched at the Sunderland
shipyard of William Pile, Hay & Co. on 7th May 1864.
She was built by composite construction, teak planking over iron framework, with timber decks.
Her hull was clad with copper, length is just over 176 feet.
From 1864 until 1886 City Of Adelaide made regular voyages to South Australia carrying
passengers and mostly cargo homeward.
In 1887 she was laid up for a while and then used as
a collier between the River Tyne and Dover.
In 1889 City Of Adelaide was sold to T. Dixon and Son, Belfast, Ireland. They adapted her for use on North Atlantic Timber runs.
Southampton Corporation used her from 1893 until 1923, as a hospital isolation ship.
Moored on the River Test, off Millbrook.
In 1923 she was sold to the Royal Navy, at Irvine in Ayrshire then converted and renamed
H.M.S. Carrick.
She was moved to Greenock in 1925 for use as a Naval Drill Ship.
The Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve club in Scotland bought her in 1946 as a
training ship. They experienced several incidents, including two sinkings.
Clyde Ship Trust were the owners in 1990 and moored her at Glasgow Customs House Quay.
She was taken to Irvine in 1992, became recognised as part of the National Historic
Ships Core Collection and was granted A class heritage listing.
When the Clyde Ship Trust was dissolved Carrick became the property of the Scottish National
Maritime Museum.
About September 1993 Carrick was lifted from the River Irvine. Work started for conversion
and restoration to a floating museum. The hull was cleaned and stripped, all non-historic
parts were removed.
Around 1995 an application was made for Carrick to go back to her original name City of Adelaide.
By 1999, due to escallating costs, Scottish Maritime Museum started an appeal for funds in
Scotland. Only a small amount of money was donated.
On 24th May 2000, the Trustees of the Scottish Maritime Museum applied to have the A class heritage listing removed so she could be scrapped.
A group was set up in Adelaide to try and take the ship to South Australia for restoration.
Attempts to save City Of Adelaide continue to this day September 2001...
