Clyde Puffer - Surviving Puffers

Surviving Puffers

A small number of puffers survive as conservation projects, though most have diesel engines,

VIC 32 is one of the last few surviving coal fired steam powered puffers (others including Vic 56 and Vic 96) and is based at The Change House, Crinan. Steam sailings have been available to the public from 1979, latterly as cruises on the Caledonian Canal. From 2004 she underwent extensive refitting at Corpach Boatyard at the west end of the canal near Fort William, funded by donations and lottery funds. After fitting of a new boiler, she steamed down from Fort William to Crinan, from where cruises on the Caledonian Canal have now re-commenced.

The restoration of VIC 96, built in 1945, was completed in 2009, retaining its steam engine, boiler and winch. On 8 August 2009, VIC 96 arrived at her new home, Chatham No. 1 Basin, after an epic 1,000 miles voyage from Elizabeth Dock, Maryport, which took five weeks.

VIC 27 renamed Auld Reekie, which starred as the Vital Spark in the third BBC TV Para Handy series, was berthed at Crinan Basin for 14 years deteriorating. She was purchased (Oct 2006) by the owner of the Inveraray Maritime Museum who carried out some work on her but she has since been resold to a new owner who has already started on her major restoration work. As she is the oldest surviving steam powered puffer in existence she must be restored and preserved as part of Scotland's heritage afloat.

VIC 72, renamed Eilean Eisdeal, continued in operation as the last of the true working "puffers" into the mid 1990s. In 2006 she was again renamed as Vital Spark of Glasgow after the Inveraray writer Neil Munro's Para Handy stories. She is now accessible to the public, alongside the Arctic Penguin at the Inveraray Maritime Museum, and continues to make sailings.

The Spartan, another diesel engined "puffer", is on display at the Scottish Maritime Museum at Irvine. "Spartan" has recently undergone restoration work on her hull, and is still being refitted. The museum also features the diesel powered motor coaster MV Kyles at its 'Clydebuilt' site at Braehead near Glasgow (an early Clyde built coaster, not a puffer).

The Pibroch, built at Bowling, Scotland in 1957 as a diesel engined boat for the Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd, had been lying at Letterfrack, County Galway, Ireland, in desperate need of restoration, since 2002. Sadly the Pibroch deteriorated further as time passed, and her bulkheads began to give way. In 2010 she was sold and was subsequently scrapped. A sister-ship, the Julia T. Lies in 30m of water in Killary Bay some 300 yards off Lettergesh.

There have also been reproduction puffers built to a smaller size, most recently the MV Mary Hill for tourist traffic on the Forth and Clyde canal.