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Mv regal lady scarborough england
The MV Regal Lady (1930) is a steel passenger boat operating out of the port of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. She is a National Historic Ship, owned and preserved by Scarborough Pleasure Steamers Ltd. The ship participated in Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, was decommissioned in 1946, and in 1954 was moved to Scarborough and renamed to its current name.
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Mechanics
Powered by a Gardner Marine 8L3B long stroke reciprocal diesel engine, has a cruising speed of 9 knots. One of very few vessels to use a twin rudder system, she steers from her bow whilst going astern using a fore rudder, and conventionally steers from a large stern rudder when steaming ahead. Her steering gear is operated by chains and spliced wire driving the two large cast iron quadrants from her opposing geared ships wheel, an original feature of the vessel.
The name Regal Lady came about in 1954 when she initially moved to Scarborough. A tradition dating back to the early 20th Century, she is the sixth and last vessel in Scarborough to bear the name 'Lady'.
History
Launched on May 1930 at Fellows and Co, Great Yarmouth by Lady Fellow. She was built to a proven design, unique to the Oulton Broads, featuring a canoe hull, and known as a 'double-ender', complementing her identical bows and stern. Underneath the waterline, Regal Lady was originally propelled by two four bladed cast iron props, one fore and one aft, the main reason being that she was too large to turn round on the Norfolk waterways. Powered by a steam engine with direct drive to either shaft, parts of which can still be found aboard the vessel today in the form of ballast.
Naval service
In 1940 Regal Lady and her crew were requisitioned by the Admiralty, and participated in 'Operation Dynamo', the (Evacuation Of Dunkirk). It is known that in three crossings, she carried 1200 troops over the channel, back to Ramsgate. After the epic of Dunkirk, Regal Lady relocated to the river Clyde in Scotland, where she continued to serve in the war as a tender to the great liners, RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth, transporting American Troops. In 1945, she was released back to her original owners based in Great Yarmouth.
Passenger service
In 1958 she was modernised, an extra deck was added, a wheelhouse, new funnel, but her fore propeller was removed to suit a new type of charter.
In 1962 the Lady was fitted with radar, and passengers allowed to look through it for a shilling.