SS Ben Bolt
A special project of the Ferries of Sydney
| Type : |
Wooden steam ship |
| Launched : |
1907 |
| Builder : |
George Whatmore Raleigh, NSW |
| Gross : |
83 tons |
| Dimensions : |
91 x 22.7 x 6 (feet) |
| Passenger capacity : |
unknown |
| Speed : |
unknown |
Ben Bolt was a small steamship owned by the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company and used as a tug and sometime excursion vessel. She was later sold to the Harbour Land and Transport company when the Manly company got out of the cargo and tug business.
She was launched in May of 1907 on the Bellinger River by a Miss Hazel Moran. Originally constructed for E D Pike and Co of the location where she was constructed, she was to have been used in the timber trade and was constructed with some limited passenger accomodation. A sister ship (being a little longer) named Raleigh was launched shortly after.
Fit out of the steam equipment occurred after she was towed to Sydney when she received a 45hp engine. Her maiden voyage (to Pambula) was run from Sydney on the 4th of March 1908.
She did not last long in her proposed trade, being sold in April of the same year to the Norah Head Gravel Company for use between Sydney and Norah Head and (according to the owner) "other undecided uses". She shows up after this time up and down the coast in locations such as Nelson Bay, Tathra and the Hawkesbury River.
Monday the 10th of April 1911 saw her aground at Waitanga near Tathra, she was refloated and had not suffered any damage.
Whilst returning to Sydney on the evening of the 30th July 1911, whilst towing the oil bunker Gem (herself a cut down ex ferry), she assisted in the rescue of a small launch which had broken down off Bondi. She towed the disabled launch into Sydney.
Sometime after this (in 1912) she was purchased by the Manly company and went into service between Sydney and manly carrying cargo and on occassion, passengers.
In late 1921 she was replaced by the Narrabeen which had been purpose built for the companys' cargo service.
September of that year saw her involved in an unusual accident when the harbour ferry Kosciusko went off course and collided with her at the Kurraba depot where she was laid up for the night. The accident occurred in heavy fog and both suffered significant damage. It took over an hour to extract them from each other.
In 1924 the Spit Bridge was opened and the cargo trade to Manly evaporated overnight. As a result the Manly company sold off their small fleet of cargo boats - Ben Bolt went to the Harbour Land and Transport company (a division of Sydney Ferries Limited). For that company, she operated in the role of tug duties.
She figured in February of 1932 in the raising of a sunken yacht (NSW II) near Fort Denison. A sling was fitted around the submerged yacjt and Ben Bolt's crane was then used to raise it. However, much to everyones surprise, the sling was missing entirely and the yacht was found hooked on the tugs anchor. The still submerged yacht was then dragged ashore (still utilising the anchor) at Shell Cove.
Ben Bolt was broken up in 1932.