Steam Tug JR More (1961)

The Steam Tug J.R. More was built by Ferguson Bros. Shipbuilders Ltd in Port Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK in 1961 for the South African Railways & Harbours administration (SAR&H). This organisation was created in 1910, when the Union of South Africa was established, and it has gradually evolved ever since. In 1981 the South African Railways & Harbours administration (SAR&H) became known as South African Transport Services (SATS) and from 1990 became the huge South African transport and logistics company – Transnet Limited which it is still known as today.  She was designed as an oil fired steam tug and was based in Durban, South Africa.

She was the last of three sister ships built by Ferguson Bros. Shipbuilders Ltd, the other two were sadly scrapped in the early to mid 1980s at Walvis Bay. They were the Danie Hugo (1959), based in Cape Town and the F.C. Sturrock (1959), based in Durban. In 1981 the Danie Hugo was moved to Walvis Bay and was soon followed by her sister, the F.C. Sturrock, in 1982. Sadly they were eventually both scrapped in the mid 1980s at Walvis Bay. The J.R. More could be distinguished from the Danie Hugo and the F.C. Sturrock, as she had a single tripod foremast while the other two had separate foremasts and radar masts. The J.R. More also had twin rudders, but sadly today only the J.R. More survives.

Photo: The Steam Tug DANIE HUGO (1959), near sister of the J.R. More (1961), at work in her home port of Cape Town, South Africa. Note that the Danie has separate foremast and radar mast, while the J.R. More was slightly different as she had these combined as a single tripod foremast. In 1981 the Danie Hugo was transferred to Walvis Bay where she was later scrapped in the mid 1980s along with her other sister, the F.C. Sturrock (1959) which had joined her there in 1982. (Derek Walker Collection)

Photo: The preserved Steam Tug J.R. MORE (1961) at the Port Natal Maritime Museum in Durban, South Africa where she is permanently displayed as a floating exhibit in her old homeport. (Derek Walker Collection)

Technical details of the J.R. More (1961):

Overall length:            53,72m (176, 3 ft)

Moulded breadth:      11,303m (35 ft)

Moulded depth:         5,48m (18 ft)

Mean draught:           (Fully loaded) 4,712m (15,5 ft)

Displacement:           1654,94 tonnes.

Gross Tonnage:        817,689 tonnes.

Built by:                       Ferguson Bros. Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow. 1961

Decommissioned:    22 November 1982.

Propulsion:                 3 Scotch, 3 furnace multi-tubular boilers driving 2 sets of

triple expansion steam engines of 3110 indicated horsepower each. Twin screw.

During her time in service until 1982 when she was decommissioned, the J.R. More could often be seen assisting one of the Union-Castle Line ships into Durban as well as many of the other ocean liners and large ships that called at the port.

Photo: This magnificent picture shows the steam tug J.R. More (1961) accompanying the Union Castle Line ocean liner, RMS Windsor Castle, into Durban sometime in their heyday during the 1960s and 70s.

After a long and active service career she was retired from service in 1982. However she avoided the ship breakers and in the same year she was preserved as part of the Port Natal Maritime Museum in Durban, South Africa. Today she is one of the last remaining steam powered tugs in South Africa and is on permanent display as a floating exhibit at the Port Natal Maritime Museum in Durban and from time to time undergoes a drydocking for maintenance. Here she is also joined by the coal fired steam pilot tug ULUNDI (1927) and the “Ton” class coastal minesweeper SAS Durban (1957).

The Port Natal Maritime Museum has a magnificent harbour side site, within view of the bustling cargo wharfs, the distant container terminal, and the yacht basin with its forest of masts. This fine museum tells the historical growth of the ocean city of Durban – currently mightiest port on the African continent – and places this fine city in its maritime context. The Museum deals exclusively with the city's seafaring tradition. It serves as a reminder that Durban was, and still is, the busiest port in Africa.

The museum, off Durban’s Esplanade, is a true voyage of discovery; it offers an exhibition hall, a number of small craft, and three ships for children to scramble about on as they learn a little about maritime history first hand.

The visitor is invited to imagine how working men of Durban lived out life on the sea-lanes, and also learns that some of the earliest resistance to labour exploitation was from black stevedores: At their barracks on the Point, they helped give birth to the first local trade unions.

Those who've never been aboard a ship can go below decks and explore three restored 'floating exhibits' - the coal-fuelled steam tug, Ulundi (1927), oldest surviving pilot tug in a South African harbour; another tug, the JR More (1961), one of the last of her kind; and a mahogany-hulled coastal minesweeper, the SAS Durban (1957).

There is also a number of small vessels, plus equipment used around the harbour, and an exhibition hall - the ‘Britannia Room’ - housing displays reflecting the city’s nautical origin and heritage.

Museum Address:

The Port Natal Maritime Museum

Bay End, Aliwal Street

Durban, South Africa

Useful Websites:

www.durban.gov.za/eThekwini/Tourism_and_Leisure/museums/port_natal

The Port Natal Maritime Museum, Durban, South Africa

www.durban.gov.za

Durban City Council

www.transnet.co.za

Transnet Limited – South Africa’s largest transport & logistics company

www.npa.co.za

National Ports Authority of South Africa

Derek Walker’s All at Sea website

www.allatsea.co.za