Gates open 11am to 2:30pm on Saturday ONLY this June
Motor tug Touchstone will be open to visitors, there will be a pop-up cafe in the pier house and of course, the resident live-aboard boats to view close up, mainly Dutch and English river barges, with one Norwegian coastal vessel (Motor Ship Hans) and all in navigable condition with working engines and many with sailing rigs too. Come and find out from those who live here what it is like to live on board a barge/ship on the river.
Touchstone returns to Hermitage, but it may be the last time, or for a while, as the owner plans to pass the vessel on to the next owner/custodian of this historic Thames tug, It is 30 years since it ceased commercial activity on the river and Rob has spent a lot of time and effort over the years keeping this example of Thames maritime heritage in good shape and in full working order.
Touchstone visits Hermitage
Tug Touchstone was built in 1962 on the Thames in Charlton, and its home berth is now at Chatham Historic dockyard. Duting its working life it was owned by Corys Tank Lighterage Company and worked the Thames and the Medway until 1994. Length 21m x beam 5.7m x draft 2.3m. Engine Blackstone 517hp, gross tonnage 68. A great piece of Thames river history, in full working order.
