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A continuous service is maintained here by medical officers on a 24-hour three-watch and shipkeepers
on a two-watch system. Underwater cables are laid between ship and shore to carry electric
power and telephone communications. Drinking water supplies are maintained by a visiting fresh
water boat.
The spacious main hold is sub-divided into storerooms, workshop and coal bunkers, besides
containing fresh water storage tanks and a central heating unit.
The superstructure, in one complete unit, contains all necessary domestic and administrative
facilities for the medical officers and shipkeepers including lounge, three sleeping cabins, office, galley,
bathing and toilet amenities. The shipkeepers are provided with a sleeping cabin and w.c. There is
an abundance of natural lighting and an immediate view over the Estuary. Electric lighting and
central heating is installed throughout the accommodation and an open grate fire is fitted in the
lounge for supplementary heating.
"Uplees," built 1897.
This is a comparatively old converted wooden sailing barge which lies at an anchorage off
Greenwich and is used as a mooring station for the two launches which operate the Upper River and
Middle River districts. The superstructure is a furnished cabin, providing living and cooking accommodation
for two shipkeepers who are employed on a 24-hour two-watch system.
Commissioned 1945 Depth 6.5 ft.
Length 76.25 ft. Draught 3.0 ft.
Beam 17.5 ft. Main hold 16 by 17 ft.
The main hold is used as a base stores for equipment and fuel. The aft compartment is fitted as
a workshop. The present anchorage is not a desirable place because of its close proximity to the
riverside refuse tipping jetty and because transportation difficulties arise at low tide. The hulk is
not connected to any electric supply or telephone. Fresh water is transported in cans by an open
boat and a chemical closet is provided for the shipkeepers. Consideration has been given to the
securing of a better anchorage or preferably to a landing stage with all amenities conducive to this
Service, in which case the hulk would be redundant.
m.l. "Howard Deighton," Commissioned 1931.
Reg. tonnage 12.24. Main engines, h.p 192.
Length 75.0ft. Fuel consumption 30 lbs./hr.
Breadth 14.5 ft. Aux. engine, h.p. 15.
Draught 6.0 ft. Fuel consumption 2.15 lbs./hr.
Max. speed 10.8 knots. Lub. oil consumption 80 galls./yr.
This strongly built steel vessel has twin screws driven by diesel engines and the electric power,
which is generated by a diesel engine unit, is stored in a 140 ampere-hour battery. She is stationed
on "Hygeia" for use by the boarding medical officers. Her internal construction comprises the
following compartments from forward to aft. Forepeak and chain locker, battery room, crews'
accommodation, engine room, saloon cabin with two emergency sleeping berths and the afterpeak.
Externally, in addition to the wheelhouse and immediately abaft of it, there is a superstructure into
which are built a galley, paint store, crew's w.c. and the ambulance room. Until recently, boarding
from the launch in rough weather has been an uncomfortably wet job and to overcome this, two
elevated boarding platforms have been erected over the ambulance room at a freeboard level of 12ft.
In these positions, the movements of the medical officer can be seen by the navigator of the launch,
while he has much less climbing to do when boarding the ship and he is clear of storm water.
A word about the ambulance room. It is spacious, heated and lighted electrically, exhaust
ventilated and has a drained, non-skid impervious deck. It has accommodation for four stretcher
cases or eight seated patients. The reception of stretcher cases is simplified by two large doors which
can expose the full widtlx of the ambulance room to receive the stretchers lowered or man-handled
to the open deck of the launch. Since the freeboard of the launch approximates to that of the pontoon
at Denton Isolation Hospital, the same ease of movement is afforded when discharging a patient.
These provisions are essential, for they permit the stretcher case to be carried at the correct angle
to combine comfort and welfare.
During overhaul this year, new bulwarks with tumble-home have been fitted, extensive modifications
to the wheelhouse completed and new cylinders to main engines, in addition to the boarding
platforms.
The launch has three crews of four, including a navigator, engineer, deckhand and boy, who work
on the same duty rota as the medical officers.
Fuel consumption is relatively low, because she seldom continues with both engines at full rated
speed for long periods, nor does the diesel-generator run continuously at full load when charging the
batteries.
m.l. "Alfred Roach," Commissioned 1948.
Length 53.0 ft. Max. speed 14.9 knots.
Breadth 12.0 ft. Engines, h.p 200.0.
Draught 3.5 ft. Fuel consumption 7 galls./hr.
This new launch built to the design of the Authority is of timber construction, a departure from
the usual steel type which became necessary owing to the restricted supply of steel at the time of
building. Based on the "Hygeia," she is normally at the disposal of the sanitary inspector of the
Lower River district. This stretch of the river is less congested and barge traffic is negligible, therefore
she is able to operate without undue risk of collision damage. Special consideration has been
given to the design in order to equip her as an ambulance launch capable of transporting stretcher
cases from any part of the Port to the isolation hospital with comparative ease, comfort and speed.
The engine-room accommodating twin diesel engines has been suitably insulated to reduce noise
and resonance to a minimum.
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