New tug heads for Fowey (From Boating Cornwall)

New tug heads for Fowey

10:33am Tuesday 19th April 2011 in Sailing

Fowey Harbour is set to get a new tug, when the 47-year old Tregeagle is replaced in April.

The Coatham Cross is a Middlesbrough tug, which has Schottel drive and a bollard pull of 32.5 tons.

She will provide towage both in Fowey and around the South West along with her sister vessel, Morgawr, which has Voith units and a bollard pull of 23.5 tons.

Currently owned by Svitzers, the tractor tug was originally from the same owners as the Gribbin Head.

She will be renamed Cormoran in the Cornish giant theme of Tregeagle and Morgawr.

According to local legend, Cormoran was 18 ft tall who measured nine feet around the waist. He and his wife, Cormelian (whose name also appears as a variant of Cormoran) were responsible for the construction of St Michael's Mount.

Together they carried granite from the West Penwith Moors to the current location of St Michael's Mount.

When Cormoran fell asleep from exhaustion, his wife tried to sneak a greenschist slab from a shorter distance away.

Cormoran awoke and kicked the stone out of her apron, where it fell to form the island of Chapel Rock.

Trecobben, the giant of Trencrom Hill (near St Ives), is said to have accidentally killed Cormelian while throwing a hammer over to St Michael's Mount for Cormoran. He and Cormoran buried Cormelian beneath Chapel Rock.