The Stanegarth, Stoney Cove
Entrance Charges | Opening Times | Underwater Attractions | The Nautilus | The Wessex | The Stanegarth | History of Stoney Cove | How to find Stoney | Accommodation list
The
Stanegarth is one of the most popular attractions at Stoney. It is a
1910 steam-powered tug boat that was brought to the facility in co-operation
with Diver magazine.
The tug is some 18 metres long with a beam of 5 metres, and rests upright
at a depth of 20 metres in Stoney.
For anyone wondering how on earth a boat like this ends up at the bottom of an inland cove, the answer is - not easily! Getting the boat from Sharpness (where it had been abandoned) to Stoney involved cutting the wheelhouse so that it would fit underneath motorway bridges, removing tons of engine and gearbox parts, other steel ballast and greasy residues.
Sinking the Stanegarth
Once on site (having got stuck at the entrance) the wheelhouse was put back on, the boat was given a coat of paint and was subsequently sunk to a fireworks display and a brass band fanfare ... that went on and on and on. What was thought would take a short time eventually took close to 90 minutes. Finally, the Stanegarth came to rest and is now enjoying more interest than it ever received rusting away in Sharpness.
One thing to note: the wheelhouse is one of the favourite haunts for Stoney Cove's famous pikes ("he was that big!"). So go on down, say hello to the big fish!
