 Havengore decorated for theThames Diamond Jubilee Pageant | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Havengore (2nd of that name) |
| Namesake | Havengore Island, a low-lying marshy island off the coast ofEssex. |
| Owner | Christopher Ryland |
| Operator | Venues of Distinction |
| Ordered | 1954 |
| Builder | Tough Brothers,Teddington |
| Launched | 1956 |
| Sponsored by | Port of London Authority |
| Commissioned | 4 February 1956 |
| Recommissioned | 1997 |
| Decommissioned | 1995 |
| Maiden voyage | 1 February 1956 |
| Out of service | 1995 |
| Reclassified | 2006 |
| Homeport | London |
| Identification | MHQK |
| Motto | "Walk always in the Ranks of Honor" |
| Nickname(s) | 'H' |
| Honours and awards | Bearer ofSir Winston Churchill during hisState Funeral in 1965 |
| Status | Operational |
| Badge | A demi-bulldogaffronty vested in aUnion Flag holding atwistedrope coil with anazure background, twosea-lionscombatant, representing thePLA, supporting a"V" for Victory. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Class V Passenger ship; exsurvey ship |
| Tonnage | 89.19 tons gross, 46.31 registered |
| Length | 25.81 m (84.7 ft) |
| Beam | 4.95 m (16.2 ft) |
| Draft | 1.90 m (6.2 ft) |
| Installed power | TwinGardner 8L3 Diesels delivering 304 h.p. at 900 r.p.m. |
| Speed | 12.29 knots |
| Capacity | 40 passengers |
| Crew | up to 10 |
Havengore is a formerhydrographicsurvey launch, originally launched in 1956 for service with thePort of London Authority (PLA). After her withdrawal from service and sale in 1995, she was re-registered as apassenger vessel for up to 40 passengers. Based on theRiver Thames,Havengore has also served as aceremonial vessel. She is best known for carrying the body ofSir Winston Churchill as part of hisstate funeral in 1965.
Havengore was named afterHavengore Island, a low-lying marshy island off the coast ofEssex. The derivation of the word Havengore is Old English, 'haefen' meaning an anchorage and 'gor' meaning muddy. The adjoining Havengore Creek marked the northern end of the PLA's jurisdiction prior to 1964, when it was extended to include the whole of theThames Estuary. By convention manyPLA vessels are named after features of the River Thames.
Havengore was commissioned by thePort of London Authority (PLA) in 1954 to replace its formersurvey vessel theShorne Meade. Built by Tough Brothers ofTeddington, she is ofdouble diagonal construction inteak over a framework ofEnglish oak. TheNational Physical Laboratory helped design and test her twin counter-rotatingpropellers and underwater fittings, whileDecca Radar oversaw trials of hersurvey systems. She was launched in 1956.[1][2]
Havengore entered service with the PLA on 4 February 1956. As the PLA'shydrographic survey vessel, she was responsible for recording changes to the bed of theRiver Thames andThames Estuary. She was the firstsurvey vessel in the UK to install a computer to recordsurvey data, usingpunched tape; replacementUnix workstations were installed in 1989. After becoming the longest-serving PLA vessel, she performed her last hydrographic work in 1995, when she was withdrawn from service and sold.[1][2]
After changing hands in 1995,Havengore was restored and refitted at theChatham Historic Dockyard. Subsequently, she was used by the Havengore Education and Leadership Mission (HELM) to provide excursions for underprivileged children on theRiver Medway. Changing hands again in 2006, three further phases ofrestoration - including the reuse of parts from a0-4-0diesel locomotive - have ensured that she remains fully operational in compliance withMCA regulations, while respecting herhistoric fabric.[3][4][5]
Havengore participated in the riverpageant held to mark the 200th anniversary of theBattle of Trafalgar and has taken part in services markingArmistice Day andArmed Forces Day. Moored atSt Katharine Docks,Havengore currently undertakes a mixed programme of public service and charitable events and is also available for corporate hospitality purposes.[6][7][8]
On 30 January 1965Havengore carriedSir Winston Churchill on his last journey by water along the River Thames fromTower Pier toFestival Pier during hisstate funeral. On her journey along the Thames,Havengore was saluted by aflypast of 16English Electric Lightning fighter jets, and dock cranes were bowed as she passed. This event was broadcast live to an estimated worldwide audience of 350 million viewers, one in ten of the thenworld population. Archive newsreel footage is available via theBBC website.[9]Havengore carries acommemorative plaque presented by the International Churchill Society inscribed with the words of the BBC broadcaster that day,Richard Dimbleby: 'And soHavengore sails into history ... not even theGolden Hind had borne so great a man'.[10]
Havengore participated in the riverpageant held to mark theQueen'sSilver Jubilee in 1977.
On 17 May 2012 it was announced that theHavengore had been selected to carry members of the Royal Family as part ofQueen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in a flotilla of over a thousand vessels duringthe Thames pageant on 3 June 2012.[citation needed] Members of the Royal Family who embarked on theHavengore for the Thames pageant wereThe Duke of York,Princess Beatrice,Princess Eugenie,The Earl andCountess of Wessex,The Duke andDuchess of Gloucester, andPrince andPrincess Michael of Kent.[11]
The craft also participated in observances on the Thames marking Queen Elizabeth's surpassing ofQueen Victoria as the longest-reigning British monarch on 9 September 2015.[12]