Historic Clyde Puffer steamboat to be repaired with £245,000 grant

One of Scotland's last traditional steamboats will be able to sail into the future after securing a grant.

The Clyde Puffer SL VIC 32 was first built in 1943 and has operated as a tourist vessel around the west coast of Scotland since 1979.

However the boat has struggled to afford much needed repairs in recent years, following a dip in tourists after the Covid-19 pandemic.

A National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £245,537 has now been awarded to the charity responsible for the puffer, ensuring the works - including repairs, renovations and a new steam turbine powered by a biofueled boiler - will go ahead.

Phil Robinson, the trustee of the Puffer Preservation Trust charity responsible for the boat, said the group was extremely grateful to secure the funding.

He added: "The Clyde Puffer is a Scottish seagoing icon, and this award will enable VIC 32 to operate into the foreseeable future."

The boats were known for being manned by small crews, and were a familiar sight throughout Scotland, taking supplies such as coal, grain, stone and whisky to small communities.

The money will go towards completing ongoing repairs on the ship, including a replica wheelhouse and completion of replacement steel hull plating throughout the hold area.

Funding will also go into a volunteer programme to provide workshops on the maintenance of heritage vessels and the history of the Clyde Puffer in Scotland.

Lastly, it will allow investment into the steam turbine, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the ship.

Caroline Clark, the National Lottery Heritage Fund's director for Scotland, said the boat was "a hugely evocative symbol of a way of life that has become a part of Scotland's shared heritage."

The boat was first commissioned by the Admiralty, as part of the Victualling Inshore Craft (Vics) fleet numbering over 100.

It was originally intended to carry provisions to naval vessels and depots during World War Two.

However it fell into disrepair within a year, and although was later brought back into use, it suffered further problems - leading to claims there was a "hoodoo" on the vessel.

It spent years in a Whitby shipyard, while the majority of its sister ships were scrapped.

Nick and Rachel Walker eventually purchased the boat in 1975, and after a few years of work began using it as a tourist sailing attraction, visiting the likes of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and Millport on the Isle of Great Cumbrae.

The Puffer Preservation Trust charity has managed the restoration and cruising operations of the boat since 2002.