Every six years, steamship Elfin must be hauled out on the slipway for a major maintenance overhaul. This procedure is essential for extending the safety certificate that allows us to guarantee a safe voyage for our passengers and volunteers. In 2025, it will be our turn again. Due to a loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged malfunction of a local bridge, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Steamship currently does not have the financial resources to cover such maintenance. As we wish to preserve this unique steam vessel for the public, we are compelled to seek alternative sources of funding. With the help of Geef.nl, we are encouraging the public to contribute to the expensive slipway maintenance and its associated repairs. Our aim is to raise €25,000, which should be sufficient to cover all the necessary work.
What needs to be done?
- A hull thickness measurement to identify weak spots and treat them where necessary.
- Cleaning of the ship’s hull and reapplication of coating and antifouling.
- Painting of the entire hull.
- Repair of the plating on the aft section.
- Replacement of the seals in the propeller shafts
Donors who contribute €1,000 or more will receive an accurate replica of the crest of H.M.S. Elfin as a gift! These replicas are made from plastic, entirely hand-painted, and mounted on a wooden base. Please remember to leave your email address so that we can contact you.
History of the Elfin:
H.M.S. Elfin was built in 1933 by the shipyard J. Samuel White. She was intended for the submarine service of the Royal Navy and served as an auxiliary vessel with the 6th submarine flotilla at the Portland naval base between 1934 and 1940. Here, Elfin was utilized mainly as a torpedo recovery vessel. After the outbreak of the Second World War, the flotilla was redirected to the Blyth naval base, from where the submarines carried out their first targeted actions against the Nazi German fleet. In the autumn of 1941, Elfin was renamed Nettle and subsequently equipped with an anti-aircraft gun to defend against potential air attacks. From 1943 until the end of the war, Nettle remained at the naval base in Rothesay. After the war, the old Elfin was returned to Portland and continued to serve for another ten years as an auxiliary ship and torpedo recovery vessel. During this period, Nettle operated alongside Stickleback-class midget submarines.
After thirteen years of service, the now redundant Nettle was sold to shipbreaker Pounds. However, the shipbreaker managed to sell the old Elfin to the Amsterdam Dry Dock Company (ADM), and in 1958 Nettle was converted into tanker cleaning vessel ‘Droogdok 18’. Later, the name was changed twice more—to ‘HOM 7’ and finally ‘TCA 1’. The old Elfin remained in service with the ADM until 1985. Following the bankruptcy of that company, the ship was laid up until it was acquired in 1995 by the Foundation for the preservation of the Steamship.
Relevance of the Elfin:
H.M.S. Elfin is not only the largest sea-going steamship in the Netherlands but also the only former steam-powered warship in the world that remains fully operational. Although the boiler system was modernized in 2024, the steam engines that drive the ship remain in their original state. For this reason, the Elfin rightly holds the status of Sailing Monument.
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