Tuxedo Princess

[John Arton]

Some of here will know that the Tuxedo Princess was a floating night club moored under the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle. Its big claim to fame was its revolving dance floor. It was packed in the 80.s but by the end of the Nineties the writing was on the wall and was superceded by the more upmarket clubs that now inhabit Newcastle.
The Princess has spent the last 10 yrs or so, slowly rotting away on the Tees.
What I never realised was that she was the last steam turbine purpose built roll on roll off car ferry built in 1961 as the Caledonian Princess. Shev started of life on the Stranraer to Larne service but also spent timesailing out of Holyhead. Fishguard and latterly Dover.
There is now a move to restore her by the Dover Harbour board and have her moored there permantley.
Would be nice to see the old girl restored to her former glory.

[robpage]

The Tuxedo Princess ( Ex Caledonian Princess Built 1961 ) was scrapped in : Scrapped in Aliağa, Turkey2008 , The Tuxedo Royale Ex Dover EX Earl Siward Built 1965 is moored in Middlesbrough , IT sank in the middle of last year after a bunch of thieves robbed metal off it . That was the last twin Screw Turbine Steamer bought for British Rail , and was named TSS DOVER , so has historical connections with the Port of Dover . I am not 100% sure of the facts , but believe that is accurate .

It ran from Weymouth - Jersey -Guernsey for 1975 onwards as a Weymouth based ship .

[Chris Allman]

Yes you are right Rob, Tuxedo Princess ex Caledonian Princess was scrapped in Turkey at Aliaga in 2008. Its the Tuxedo Royale which is on the Tees and which sank after metal thieves stole pipework in May 2011. I saw a picture of her semi submerged.

Chris.

[Keith at Tregenna]

The Tuxedo Princess (ex-TSS Caledonian Princess) and Tuxedo Royale (ex-TSS Dover) were two former car ferries used as permanently moored floating nightclubs in the United Kingdom from the 1980s to the 2000s. Both ships saw use on the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne at different times, while the Princess also saw use on the River Clyde in Glasgow, and the Royale on the River Tees in Middlesbrough.

New the Royale from many visits to Newcastle.

LINK: Floating nightclub Tuxedo Royale is sinking - Local News - News - Gazette Live

K.

[Trader]

John, it is not Dover Harbour Board that want to restore her it is a chap called Richard Moffat who, I believe, sailed in her in the engine room. He has got a big task on his hands and in fact Dover Harbour Board have said that they do not want her. There are plans afoot for a new ferry terminal at the Western Docks, this is a few years off but they intend to fill in the Granville dock where general cargo ships used to discharge and is now used as a yacht Marina to make a lorry park. If and when this happens they intend to build a small lock for yachts to access the Wellington Dock where Richard Moffat wanted to berth the old Dover.

He was on the TV a couple of days ago telling his story. He comments regularly on the Dover Forum.com Good luck to him but he has got his hands full I think just to make her seaworthy.

Alec.

[John Arton]

Alec
Thanks for the correction re: Dover harbour board not being the lot involved in the restoration of the ship. I certainly hope that the gentleman in question is successful in restoring her as there cannot be many steam driven ferries left around.
Thanks to all those who corrected me on the history of the Princess.
rgds
John

[GBM_MAZ]

..........Would be nice to see the old girl restored to her former glory.

Mate sorry but you're getting the boats mixed up. References to Dover Harbour and the mooring on the Tees - that's the Royale, not the Princess. 'latterly Dover' - that's also the Royale.

It pains me to say it because I have a lot of good memories of the Royale and the Princess, but the Princess was scrapped in Turkey a few years ago. The Princess left Newcastle in July 08, was in Greece in October 08, then was moved to Turkey soon afterwards and scrapped. The Princess was formerly the Caledonian Princess, and indeed it was one of the last steam turbine ferries as you state above. The Royale was built in 1965, the Princess in 1961. The Princess was bigger than the Royale.

The Royale is still sitting in the Tees, and has been since 1999 (i think) but it has been vandalised and stripped to a large entent, and has been taking on water. The Royale was in the Tyne from roughly 1988-1999, and the Princess was moored either side of these dates (possibly 1983ish - 1988, then 1999 - 2008. The Princess was in Glasgow while the Royale was on the Tyne). The Royale was formerly the TSS Dover, it is the Royale that interests Dover. However if they can get the boat moved to a dry dock, they may be able to restore it as a ferry. There was an article in the Northern Echo recently about it.

Personally, Id love to see the Royale renovated in whatever form. I have so many very happy memories, mainly on the Tux Royale but also on the Princess. I loved going on the boat when the Royale was in Newcastle during my late teens, if someone can get it back, it would be really nostalgic to just be on the brilliant old thing again. Good Luck to those who are trying

---------- Post added at 11:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:43 AM ----------

Sorry for repeating earlier comments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I jsut realised there are other posts, I only replied to yours. Sorry again

[robpage]

I like preserved things , like most engineers I love steam engines , Railway engines , old cars , but , I don't like paying out of my taxes to keep them . To preserve the TSS DOVER ( Tuxedo Royale ) there would need to be a capital outlay of somewhere ( Guessing ) £1,000,000 , just to get it back into some order . The running costs , staff , services , towage , moorings , catering , maintenance , occasional dry dockings is going to be £1.000.000 a year . A ship historically important like the SS Great Britain is getting over 175,000 visitors a year , in Bristol , which has a lot of tourist attractions nearby . I don't see the 100,000 visitors paying £10 per head that the TSS Dover would need walking up the gangway unless it is moored in a visitor area , and I don't see Dover Harbour as the right place . This means that survival will be by government or lottery Grant , and I don't see that in the present climate . There have been so many failures , like the RMS Windsor Castle , that I am sceptical about the sucess of a preservation society making iot work without substantial funding , There are ships like the City of Adelaide struggling with their future . The SS United States conservancy have a begging bowl out , the QE2 has no certain future . There are a lot of good causes out there , I just do not see the preservation of the TSS Dover being one that is high on the list .

[Tony Morcom]

100% with you on that one Rob.