About Touchstone

M.T.Touchstone was built in 1963 for the then Cory Tank Lighterage Co. Until the early 1980's she was mainly employed towing petrol lighters from Thameshaven to Aylesford on the river Medway.

At this time the tug operated with a crew of 4 or 5 plus up to 4 lightermen.

When this trade was discontinued she was assigned to the River Thames household rubbish trade running between City of London wharves and Cory's disposal / landfill site on the Mucking Flats marshes in the Lower Hope below Gravesend.

With the increase in size and weight of the rubbish lighters due to the change from loose cargo to containers, Touchstone was regarded as underpowered for the work , and became the "stand by " tug at Gravesend in the early 1990's. Her duties were mainly to pull lighters on and off of the tidal Mucking berth as required.

In 1999 she was laid up at Cory's yard at Charlton, and on 4th December was sold out of service to Mr and Mrs Chandler.

Since then they have endeavoured to maintain Touchstone as a working preserved craft. This is of course an ongoing endless project.

The Tug's main engine is a compressed air start Lister Blackstone diesel of 8 cylinders and 500 h.p. capacity. The hydraulic gear box drives a 2 metre diameter 4 bladed propeller. The no.1 generator is an electric start 60 H.P. Ford diesel. The no.2 generator is a hand crank start 3 cylinder Lister diesel.

Her tonnage is 68 tons gross and a deadweight of 110 tons.