| 1897-98 |
- S.E. Saunders of Goring
built the 50 ft
steam launch Consuta for Mr. H.S.
Clutton of Cleeve Mill, Goring on the River Thames. The launch
was commissioned for use as an umpiring launch at the Henley
Royal Regatta. The construction technique was a new revolutionary
method that gave a very light but extremely strong hull and is
the forerunner of all cold molded hulls today. Consuta was also
the first of the tunnel stern umpiring launches and was capable
of 26 mph, see technical
specification.
|
| 1910 |
|
| c1920 |
- By this time Consuta was
owned by Phelps and based at the Putney. At a later unknown date
Consuta was owned by Sims and based at Richmond.
|
| 1923 |
- The steam plant was removed
at Taylor Bates yard, Chertsey and replaced with a Wolseley petrol engine. The
DesVignes steam engine was then subsequently used to power
some plate bending rolls at Tom Taylor's boatyard until the 1960's.
|
| Owners |
- We are still trying to
piece together the history. We understand that she was privately
owned by Henry Hewitt from about 1907 who had a houseboat 'Satsuma' at
Platts Ait, Hampton. By 1923 she was owned by Phelps at Putney Boathouses,
then in 1950's by W.E.R. Sims (Boats) at Richmond /Twickenham.
During her last commercial usage, she was owned by F&B Boats
(John French & Robert Balcomb) at Surbiton. Consuta was operated as a
"twelve boats" carrying 12 passengers only, so was exempt from the Board
of Trade boat passenger regulations. She was finally sold to Graham Lindsay
in 1975.
|
| 1949 |
- Consuta was used for the
first ever live
TV coverage of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race. She performed
this duty until the 1960's. By this time the Wolseley engine had been
replaced by a six cylinder Gray marine petrol engine, now owned by the Trust.
|
| 1975 |
|
| 1997 |
- The Smith family became
involved with Consuta and the hull was taken to
Kintbury for appraisal. The
Consuta Trust was formed in 1998 to take the responsibility
of restoring and exhibiting the launch. The Trust subsequently
became a registered charity in 1999.
|
| 1998 |
- The Consuta Trust adopted a restoration plan devised by Colin Henwood
and, the first stages of this
were completed at Kintbury. Consuta was then moved to
Henwood
and Dean near Henley and the major restoration work started using help of volunteers
for some tasks.
|
| 2000 |
- The Trust were successful
in obtaining £38,200 Heritage Lottery funding to complete the restoration
work, so Consuta was moved to
Kew Bridge Steam Museum in November 2000 for the installation
of engine and boiler. After this work she was then moved back to Henwood
and Dean July 2001 for completion of the remaining wood work.
|
| 2001 |
- On Monday the 15th
October 2001 Consuta was transported to Wargrave and launched
on the River Thames after an absence of 25 years. Successful
steam trials were conducted the next day. This was the first
time Consuta had been steamed since 1923. See
pictures of first steam trials afloat October 2001.
|
| 2002 |
|
| Newsletters |
- Newsletters
The Trust issue these to supporters on a regular basis.
|