Richard Albanese, Mike Houckham and just some the many volunteers involved in
the steam tug Cervia's restoration, proudly showing their award.

The Ramsgate Society, a local civic and historical group dedicated to the care and improvement of historic Ramsgate, have presented an award to the volunteer restorers of steam tug Cervia.

Cervia's many volunteers assembled to recieve the 'Town Image Award' just before Christmas. This award was in recognition of their hard work over the past 18 months, hard work which has already brought some considerable visual improvment to the steam tug and thereby to the whole Royal Harbour area, of which Cervia is such a well known feature.

Despite the lack of news being posted here on the Steam Museum website, much work has gone on in the background and the internal restoration aboard Cervia has continued apace over the winter. Considerable work has been done renovating the boiler room and forward accomodation areas. Further work will continue on the exterior of Cervia during the spring and summer of 2011, with bigger plans afoot that she that she can, eventually, be made fully sea worthy.

SMT trustees have been in discussions with the local authority Thanet District Council over the future of Ramsgate Maritime Museum over the last 2 years. The museum re-opened for the summer of 2009 under the control of The Steam Museum Trust, but detailed negotiations with TDC unexpectedly stalled in the autumn of that year. As a result, the museum was closed during 2010, a great loss to the town and to its many seasonal visitors. Cervia is moored alongside the closed buildings and has been open to the public, attracting good crowds during the summer. A change of direction within the local authority resulted in a resumption of talks with SMT trustees and a 25 year lease of the Clock House and dry dock has now been approved by the TDC 'cabinet'. It is now expected that the lease will be in place during the next 1-2 months, enabling the Ramsgate Museum to re-open its doors for the coming season. Watch this space...

The newly repainted steam tug CERVIA gleaming in the winter sun at Ramsgate.

As the photos show, the past 5 months of hard graft by a team of volunteers led by Richard Albanese has transformed Cervia, and she is beginning to look her old self again.

New paint now covers most of her exterior, following much work chipping and hammering away layers rust from the hull, decks and superstructure, the result of many years of neglect. The tug is now closed to museum visitors for the winter, so some of the heavier work can be carried out. The engine room is also beginning to look rather good again, as the photo below reveals... For comparison you can take a look at the photos from our previous news in July to see how Cervia was before this work began.

However, the essential and very expensive work to slip the vessel and survey the hull plating is currently on hold, awaiting Thanet District Council's resolution as to the future the whole of Ramsgate's Harbour area, which includes the Museum building and dry dock. Unfortunately, this also means that our many planned events for the museum and harbour will have to be held back for the time being.

In the meantime, the museum remains open to visitors and work continues aboard CERVIA, with attention turning towards the boiler room and accomodation areas.

The view into the engine room casing, showing the repainted ceiling and cylinder tops.

The huge portable dockyard boiler just arrived and being prepared to power CERVIA.

It is hoped to be possible to demonstrate CERVIA's 1,000 H.P. main engine (and attendant machinery) running under steam in the very near future.

To this end, the Steam Museum Trust recently approached the Historic Dockyard, Chatham to investigate the feasability of using one of the ex Royal Navy 'donkey' boilers to provide the huge quantities of steam needed to operate CERVIA. The Royal Navy once used these large, wheeled boilers to provide steam to capital ships when moored up. Several of these boilers survive in the Chatham Dockyard and, following discussions between the 2 organisations, it has been agreed to transfer the equipment to the Steam Museum Trust.

It is hoped that work can start on putting the 'donkey' boiler into operating condition during next week, with the hope of getting the tug's engines running again soon... Please keep an eye on this website, or on the Ramsgate Museum's noticeboard for an update.

The Steam Museum Trust are pleased to announce that they are part of a successful bid by "Thanet Works" to provide 5 job training places at the Ramsgate Museum, for young people, commencing in September this year.

Part of a central government £1 Billon jobs fund to help create 150,000 new places nationally, the local scheme is administered by Thanet District Council. Michael Cates, secretary to the SMT, has worked closey with Thanet District Council over the successful application and everyone at the museum looks forward to welcoming the first 5 trainees next month. It is expected that training onboard the tug CERVIA can include: mechanical engineering, steel fabrication, electrical installation, shipwrighting, metal coating and other marine crafts.

Following a campaign spearheaded by the Isle of Thanet Gazette newspaper, lots of volunteers have come forward to assist in the restoration of CERVIA. It has been immensley pleasing that so many members of the public feel very strongly that the tug should be properly preserved for the future, and that they are willing to offer their time and skills to the enormous project.

Numbers of volunteers working on board by Monday 17th August have now reached a total of 9 people, all working under the direction of Richard Albanese. The tug is a source of furious activity and, already, very significant visible progress has been made. The next big goal, after the summer visitor season ends in late September, has to be the planned visit to the nearby Ramsgate Slipways, for essential underwater hull surveys and repairs...

Steam Tug CERVIA at Ramsgate Royal Harbour

Events are now moving fast at Ramsgate. As a result of the dedicated work put in by Richard Albernese, John Vineer and their enthusiastic 5 man team, it was possible to re-open steam tug CERVIA to the public yesterday, 8th August.

Having been closed to the public since 2003, CERVIA will now be accessible for viewing 7 days a week, from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Whilst restoration work has only been in progress for 4 weeks, both the interior and the exterior of the vessel can be inspected, including the wheelhouse, the Captain and crew's accomodation, and the enormous 1,000 H.P. triple expansion steam engine and boiler. Admission is without charge to museum visitors - come and see first hand how an important slice of Britain's and Ramsgate's maritime history is slowly coming to life in the Royal Harbour...

Click above to read the full news article from the Thanet Gazette newspaper, 7th August 2009.

As the above from the Thanet Gazette reports, all hands are on deck to make the steam tug CERVIA safe for visitors once again. With the Ramsgate Museum now open a full 7 days a week, work is racing ahead and we hope very soon to able to allow the public on board for tours... More soon...

(There is, of course, a great deal of long-term restoration to follow over the next year or two, and we encourage those interested in volunteering to come and visit us at Ramsgate Harbour.)

Work began today on the restoration of the steam tug Cervia, which we hope to re-open to public access as part of the museum in the near future...

The full restoration of the tug (information on her can be found on this website) will take some 2 years and we encourage visitors and volunteers to visit CERVIA at Ramsgate Harbour.

Steam Tug CERVIA at her berth in Ramsgate on 14th July.

We are very pleased to announce that the Ramsgate Museum re-opened today 4th July 2009 at 10.00 am.

The Museum was officially re-opened at a ceremony attended by Sandy Ezekiel, the Leader of Thanet District Council, Roger Lachford Deputy Leader and Cllr David Green, the Mayor of Ramsgate.

Michael List Brain, as chairman of the Steam Museum Trust outlined the plans for developing the museum into an enhanced visitor attraction for Thanet and announced that the restoration of the steam tug Cervia would commence in the next 2 weeks. This re-opening of the museum is the culmination of some 6 months hard work by all the parties concerned and the Steam Museum Trust very much looks forward to welcoming visitors to the fabulous, historic Ramsgate Royal Harbour this summer and in the years to come...

Following our annoucement in January regarding the Steam Museum Trusts' aquisition of the East Kent Maritime Museum exhibits, we are pleased to announce that the Charity Commissioners have now granted us full charitable status.

The Clock House at Ramsgate

As from May 1st 2009, the Steam Museum Trust, registered charity No.1129376 has full legal status to accept the transfer of EKMT's exhibits.

Concurrent with this, we have been very busy developing our proposals to take over and run the Ramsgate Maritime Museum. Our proposals have been received most constructively by Thanet District Council and it is hoped that matters will be resolved in the near future. These proposals are wide ranging and designed to ensure the museum has a permanent, active and important role to play both in the town of Ramsgate as well as in the wider area of South East England.

SMT have been very appreciative of the overwhelming support and encouragement shown from the public at large, the residents of Ramsgate and the museum world. This support has been strongly voiced in the local media, giving us much needed encouragement to persevere with our plans.

On 20th May Thanet District Council issued the following statement to the local press:

This statement brought the press campaign to a happy conclusion and the Isle of Thanet Gazette today, 22 May, accounced in their front page headline:

One of the most pressing tasks will be the restoration of the
steam tug Cervia, which in recent years has become very run-down.

We are now waiting for the East Kent Maritime Trust to complete the hand over of the exhibits, following which it is hoped to re-open the museum in time for the high summer season.

This is a very busy time for the SMT as arrangements are in full swing for this years Preston Steam Rally, due to be held on the 27th and 28th June. Last year the weather was kind to us and a reported 30,000 visitors attended over the two days. The 2009 show should be bigger and better, with lots of new exhibits including a full size passenger carrying industrial railway, steam ploughing and a working steam demonstration area, plus an enlarged fairground. For more details about the Preston Rally click on the menu above.