MV Royal Daffodil
Encyclopedia
The Royal Daffodil is a ferry
in operation on the River Mersey
, England
and is currently the flagship
vessel of the three Mersey Ferries. From launch until a major refit in 1998, she was named MV Overchurch, she began service for Birkenhead Corporation Ferries in 1962, and was withdrawn by Mersey Ferries in 1990 where she saw minimal active work until 1999, when she was extensively refurbished. Despite her extensive re-build, the ship still retains a similar profile.
, Birkenhead
. She was named after one of the town's post-war
overspill housing developments.
The ferry was the first of the fleet to be of all-welded construction and she is currently the last Mersey Ferry to be built. The Overchurch was popular with its Captains and Mates as its navigation bridge
spanned the whole ship, rather than having a wheelhouse and side cabs such as Mountwood and Woodchurch used. The wheelhouse was spacious with a single binnacle and brass wheel. Most of the ships control instruments were fitted into specially built stand alone units, including the telegraph heads. This was unlike the compact and relatively cluttered bridges on the Overchurch's two near sisters, where most of the instruments were attached to the bulkheads. It was a handsome vessel, with clean and smooth lines and a stout funnel. Her original livery was Birkenhead's orange and black funnels, with a flame red band above the rubbing strake.
The Overchurch contained identical navigation equipment and engines to Mountwood and Woodchuch, however, with a gross tonnage of 468,
the ship was slightly heavier that its two near sisters and was therefore a knot or two slower. The original plan was to have a third ferry built to the designs of Mountwood and Woodchurch, however, Birkenhead Corporation decided to design a completely new vessel.
Overchurch was fitted with a small deck area just behind the bridge and around the rakish funnel. The funnel was joined to the bridge at the front and was quite high, giving the ferry a top heavy look. There were also sheltering bulkheads beneath the bridge wings. The reason for these is that Overchurch could be fitted with awnings for rough weather or heavy rain. When built, she was somewhat more advanced than the two sisters. As well as the completely enclosed navigation bridge, she also had a more advanced radio system, a loudaphone system, three window-wipers and an automatic whistle control.
diesel engine
s were controlled via three Chadburns Synchrostep telegraph pairs, one on each wing and one central, the same as Mountwood and Woodchurch, although the telegraphs differed in that just the heads were fitted into specially built units in the bridge wings and midship. Unlike most other telegraphs which had simple commands of slow, half, full etc., she had more speed options both ahead and astern e.g. half 1,2,3,4,5 full 1,2,3,4,5 giving much more control of speed on the busy river. Overchurch was almost always operational from 1962 up until the early 1990s having not been withdrawn for major overhauls as Mountwood and Woodchurch were. The Overchurch is the most common ferry on photographs of these periods.
to open the new Cammell Laird dry dock.
The Overchurch was a popular ferry with passengers and was described as "the warm one" by many familiar with her. Why she was warmer is unknown. Overchurch was operational throughout the late 1960s where cost cutting enforcements meant that her sisters Mountwood, Woodchurch and former Wallasey boats Leasowe and Egremont were docked in the East Float
for some considerable time. Overchurch and the larger Royal Daffodil and Royal Iris operated the service.
Overchurch was chosen to operate a new service to Otterspool Promenade
during the 1984 International Garden Festival
, when all the ferries were given a new livery
of red white and blue, replacing the black and green livery given in the mid 1970s. She operated alone throughout the Mountwood and Woodchurch refurbishment, her last full season was 1989.
In 1991, she was used until the two sisters returned in time for the QE2
's first visit to Liverpool. She was then placed as a standby vessel, ready in case one of the two sisters broke down. This had a somewhat detrimental effect on the ferry. Mountwood and Woodchurch were reliable boats and worked on an interchanging rota with around two weeks of operational service and then two weeks of repairs and maintenance. This meant that the Overchurch underwent lengthy periods of disuse, being laid up in the East Float of Birkenhead Docks. It is unknown why this was the case, as she was suitable for active service.
During 1997, Overchurch was used several times. The age of the ship and lack of service was apparent: the decking was green, the engines billowed thick black smoke and streams of soot ran down the funnel. Why her engines were in such a poor state is likely to be due to lack of operation and also heavy usage during the 1980s. Without a doubt, the ferry's age was showing.
The Overchurch was given her major refit in 1998 at Lengthline Ship Repairers in Manchester
, which resulted in a major rebuilding of all decks. Her funnel and bridge were removed and placed in storage. the rest of her superstructure was modernised and refurbished. New engines and navigation equipment were fitted and the resulting transformation was spectacular. Her original funnel and bridge, including binnacle
and brass helm, were retained, albeit with some minor additions.
Royal Daffodil is often used for functions and party or special cruises. Her rebuild differed from the other ships in the fleet, as she was re-built primarily for cruising. Whereas, the Mountwood (Royal Iris of the Mersey
) and the Woodchurch (Snowdrop
) have been re-built as standard multi-purpose ferries.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
in operation on the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is currently the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
vessel of the three Mersey Ferries. From launch until a major refit in 1998, she was named MV Overchurch, she began service for Birkenhead Corporation Ferries in 1962, and was withdrawn by Mersey Ferries in 1990 where she saw minimal active work until 1999, when she was extensively refurbished. Despite her extensive re-build, the ship still retains a similar profile.
MV Overchurch
The vessel was built for Birkenhead Corporation in 1962 at Cammell LairdCammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
. She was named after one of the town's post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
overspill housing developments.
The ferry was the first of the fleet to be of all-welded construction and she is currently the last Mersey Ferry to be built. The Overchurch was popular with its Captains and Mates as its navigation bridge
Bridge (ship)
The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW aided usually by an AB acting as lookout...
spanned the whole ship, rather than having a wheelhouse and side cabs such as Mountwood and Woodchurch used. The wheelhouse was spacious with a single binnacle and brass wheel. Most of the ships control instruments were fitted into specially built stand alone units, including the telegraph heads. This was unlike the compact and relatively cluttered bridges on the Overchurch's two near sisters, where most of the instruments were attached to the bulkheads. It was a handsome vessel, with clean and smooth lines and a stout funnel. Her original livery was Birkenhead's orange and black funnels, with a flame red band above the rubbing strake.
The Overchurch contained identical navigation equipment and engines to Mountwood and Woodchuch, however, with a gross tonnage of 468,
the ship was slightly heavier that its two near sisters and was therefore a knot or two slower. The original plan was to have a third ferry built to the designs of Mountwood and Woodchurch, however, Birkenhead Corporation decided to design a completely new vessel.
Overchurch was fitted with a small deck area just behind the bridge and around the rakish funnel. The funnel was joined to the bridge at the front and was quite high, giving the ferry a top heavy look. There were also sheltering bulkheads beneath the bridge wings. The reason for these is that Overchurch could be fitted with awnings for rough weather or heavy rain. When built, she was somewhat more advanced than the two sisters. As well as the completely enclosed navigation bridge, she also had a more advanced radio system, a loudaphone system, three window-wipers and an automatic whistle control.
Engines
The two medium speed CrossleyCrossley
Crossley, based in Manchester, United Kingdom, was a pioneering company in the production of internal combustion engines. Since 1988 it has been part of the Rolls-Royce Power Engineering group.More than 100,000 Crossley oil and gas engines have been built....
diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s were controlled via three Chadburns Synchrostep telegraph pairs, one on each wing and one central, the same as Mountwood and Woodchurch, although the telegraphs differed in that just the heads were fitted into specially built units in the bridge wings and midship. Unlike most other telegraphs which had simple commands of slow, half, full etc., she had more speed options both ahead and astern e.g. half 1,2,3,4,5 full 1,2,3,4,5 giving much more control of speed on the busy river. Overchurch was almost always operational from 1962 up until the early 1990s having not been withdrawn for major overhauls as Mountwood and Woodchurch were. The Overchurch is the most common ferry on photographs of these periods.
In service
Her first official duty was in 1962, when she conveyed Princess AlexandraPrincess Alexandra
Princess Alexandra may refer to:*Alexandra the Maccabee of the Hasmonean Kingdom*Princess Alexandra of Denmark , oldest daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark, Queen consort of Edward VII...
to open the new Cammell Laird dry dock.
The Overchurch was a popular ferry with passengers and was described as "the warm one" by many familiar with her. Why she was warmer is unknown. Overchurch was operational throughout the late 1960s where cost cutting enforcements meant that her sisters Mountwood, Woodchurch and former Wallasey boats Leasowe and Egremont were docked in the East Float
Great Float
The Great Float, is a body of water on the Wirral Peninsula, England formed from the natural tidal inlet, the Wallasey Pool. It is split into two large docks, East Float and West Float, both part of the Birkenhead Docks complex. The docks run approximately inland from the River Mersey, dividing...
for some considerable time. Overchurch and the larger Royal Daffodil and Royal Iris operated the service.
Overchurch was chosen to operate a new service to Otterspool Promenade
Otterspool Promenade
Otterspool Promenade is a riverside walk and accompanying area of parkland in the Aigburth and Grassendale districts of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The promenade runs along the bank of the River Mersey from just north of Garston docks to Otterspool Park. A narrower footpath and cycleway...
during the 1984 International Garden Festival
International Garden Festival
thumb|200px|right|Commemorative [[coffee]] [[mug]] from the festival, showing a [[cartoon]] [[Liver bird]].The International Garden Festival was a garden festival recognised by the International Association of Horticultural producers and the Bureau of International Exhibitions and held in...
, when all the ferries were given a new livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
of red white and blue, replacing the black and green livery given in the mid 1970s. She operated alone throughout the Mountwood and Woodchurch refurbishment, her last full season was 1989.
In 1991, she was used until the two sisters returned in time for the QE2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
's first visit to Liverpool. She was then placed as a standby vessel, ready in case one of the two sisters broke down. This had a somewhat detrimental effect on the ferry. Mountwood and Woodchurch were reliable boats and worked on an interchanging rota with around two weeks of operational service and then two weeks of repairs and maintenance. This meant that the Overchurch underwent lengthy periods of disuse, being laid up in the East Float of Birkenhead Docks. It is unknown why this was the case, as she was suitable for active service.
During 1997, Overchurch was used several times. The age of the ship and lack of service was apparent: the decking was green, the engines billowed thick black smoke and streams of soot ran down the funnel. Why her engines were in such a poor state is likely to be due to lack of operation and also heavy usage during the 1980s. Without a doubt, the ferry's age was showing.
Refurbishment
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, which resulted in a major rebuilding of all decks. Her funnel and bridge were removed and placed in storage. the rest of her superstructure was modernised and refurbished. New engines and navigation equipment were fitted and the resulting transformation was spectacular. Her original funnel and bridge, including binnacle
Binnacle
A binnacle is a waist-high case or stand on the deck of a ship, generally mounted in front of the helmsman, in which navigational instruments are placed for easy and quick reference as well as to protect the delicate instruments. Its traditional purpose was to hold the ship's magnetic compass,...
and brass helm, were retained, albeit with some minor additions.
MV Royal Daffodil
She was re-named Royal Daffodil and was back in service by 1999. Yet, close examination of her bows and stern, the name "Overchurch" could still be seen beneath the black paint. In March 2011 the ferry had her bows re-plated and now carries her name in Birkenhead Corporation style cursive font. The Royal Daffodil changed considerably from her previous guise. The lower main and forward saloons were gutted and extensively re-built, spanning to whole width of the ship. Catering and bar facilities were installed plus fabric seating, carpets and tables and chairs. The upper saloon was also enclosed and extended, with a dance floor fitted and another bar area. The bridge deck was also extended to the full width of the ship. Immediately behind the bridge a small crew room was installed. Below decks there is another large dance floor in the former smoke room and there is crew accommodation at the stern of the vessel. The engine room was completely gutted during the refit, and major re-structuring work took place within it. The new engines were fitted further back to allow greater space around them for additional machinery. The engine room also contains a control centre which includes a set of telegraphs, a large switch board and radar screen. The main deck stairwell was also covered over with a shelter-like structure.Royal Daffodil is often used for functions and party or special cruises. Her rebuild differed from the other ships in the fleet, as she was re-built primarily for cruising. Whereas, the Mountwood (Royal Iris of the Mersey
MV Royal Iris of the Mersey
The MV Royal Iris of the Mersey is a Mersey Ferry in operation on the River Mersey, England. From launch until a major refurbishment in 2001, she was named MV Mountwood.-MV Mountwood:...
) and the Woodchurch (Snowdrop
MV Snowdrop
The MV Snowdrop is a Mersey Ferry in operation on the River Mersey, England. From launch until a major refit in 2003, she was named MV Woodchurch.-MV Woodchurch:The Woodchurch was the sister ship of the MV Mountwood...
) have been re-built as standard multi-purpose ferries.