The Challenge & Project Scope
ST KATHERINE is a historic passenger vessel made of steel and aluminium, built by Phillip & Son Ltd in 1927 at Dartmouth. Registered in London and originally owned by the Port of London Authority (PLA), she served as an Admiralty Guardship on the Thames during the Second World War. After a luxury refit in 1946 visited by Royalty, she was decommissioned in 1971 to become a floating restaurant. Following several restorations, she was undergoing refurbishment as of 2023 under new ownership, which saw her wheelhouse removed and a new metal superstructure constructed. Towing a historic vessel with modified superstructure through central London's high-traffic reaches and narrow bridge spans required careful passage planning and precise navigation.
The MMS Solution & Deployed Assets
We deployed a twin-screw workboat tug alongside a dedicated standby safety craft. Our skippers, holding local Thames endorsements, mapped out a detailed transit plan timed with the tidal cycle to ensure adequate bridge clearances and safe towing velocities. The tow proceeded downstream through the Pool of London, Greenwich Reach, and was safely delivered alongside the slipway at Bay Wharf. All aerial filming and photography was conducted by UAS London (https://uas.london/) utilising their specialised service for Drone Filming of Thames Towage Operations.
Project Outcome & Verification
ST KATHERINE was safely delivered to the Bay Wharf shipyard. She will be repainted, her interior revamped, and she will return to service as a premium bar and venue along the Victoria Embankment, giving this historic vessel a new lease of life. The operation was logged by Port Control as a textbook transit with zero incident.
Project Operations Gallery
