CHIPCHASE


Many years ago we had in Blyth harbour a little tugboat called Chipchase, not as big as its mighty sisters, Tynesider, Hillsider and Homesider but still a very busy little chap. For many years as a kid I would be down the harbour fishing and see it busying about the place but sadly on 8th July 1964 while assisting with the berthing of the collier Blackwall Point she was girted (pulled over sideways) and sank in the river, happily no loss of life and I still remember going down to where it sank and looking at the funnel sticking two feet out of the water. She was raised and put into Blyth Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company's dry dock and cleaned out and repaired, I know for a fact that my dad was on the team to clean and repair Chichase when it was in dry dock and there are two men shown in the bottom right picture, I'm sure the one without the cap is my Dad. I believe it then moved on to Whitby or somewhere in that area but was sadly broken up in 1998



                   

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