……………………..was the strange journey undertaken by the MV Oldenburg to bring it to North Devon, as recounted by John Puddy of the Steamship Freshspring Trust.
John, a marine engineer by profession, was agent at Lundy for 14 years, and was deeply involved in managing transport to and from the island. This included a variety of vessels and a helicopter, but the search for a suitable permanent vessel ended with the Oldenburg, which was a river cruiser in Germany when John located it.
John gave an overview of Lundy’s history and the vessels that supplied it, but the core of the talk was the process of getting a German river cruiser to Lundy. This involved tangles with bureaucracy and a large number of fuel filters, as the Channel crossing dislodged years of sediment from the bottom of the fuel tank.
A variety of modes of use was tried, but crew requirements and economics have dictated the current service between Bideford, Ilfracombe and Lundy.
A great story, from someone who was at the heart of it.
The picture shows the Oldenburg, together with the previous supply vessel the MV Polar Bear, in the Landing Bay at Lundy.
