Villiersdorp rescues a slice of maritime history

She may now appear decidedly dowdy but the 52-year-old tug Alwyn Vintcent is soon to receive doses of tender loving care after embarking on her most unusual ‘voyage’ – atop a flatbed trailer along a grinding 220km route from Cape Town to Villiersdorp. Once there, a group of enthusiasts plan to restore what is the last steam-powered vessel on South Africa’s shipping register before putting her on display in the local museum – and, who knows, perhaps even the odd cruise on the nearby Theewaterskloof Dam? Designed in the UK and built in Venice, Italy in 1959, she was one of five ordered by the South African Railways and Harbours Administration for use within the ports. What set her and the SJ Harrison apart from the other three was that they were built with a clear aft deck to transfer passengers in baskets to and from visiting ships. Named after Alwyn Vintcent, a past chairman of the Mossel Bay Boating Company and member of the Harbour’s Advisory Board, she arrived in Cape Town under tow on her maiden voyage in May 1959, but spent most her working life in and around Mossel Bay. In 1983, the AV was retired and fell into Australian hands for several years before being acquired by Ron Etter of Knysna. He could not transform the venture into a viable commercial proposition and the vessel passed onto the SA Maritime Museum in 1988, returning to service carrying passengers around Table Bay until her removal from the South African Register of Shipping in 2000. She was once again under threat – until the Villiersdorp branch of the West Cape Tractor and Engine Club came along. Safe to suggest that burning the midnight oil will be the order of the day once the AV arrives.