YORKSHIREMAN
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:43 pm

She was built as a tug/salvage vessel under yard No 104 by the Cochrane Shipbuilding Ltd. at Selby, Yorkshire, England for the United Towing (Ocean Tugs) Ltd. at Hull.
Launched under the name YORKSHIREMAN.
Tonnage 686 gross, dim. 42.07 x 11.64 x 4.87m. (draught).
Powered by Ruston diesels 7.250 hp. (5.336Kw.) speed 13 knots, bollard pull 64 tons.
Bunker capacity 437 tons.
Accommodation for 10 crew and 6 supernumeraries.
June 1978 delivered to owners.
Built as a tug/salvage vessel and is highly maneuverable, with twin controllable pitch propellers in KORT nozzles, twin rudders and a bow thruster.
During the Falkland War in 1982 was she requisitioned by the British Royal Navy on 07 April 1982 when working in the North Sea. She arrived at Portsmouth on the 12th, and after bunkering and loading of towing and salvage gear sailed on the 13th for Ascension, where she arrived the 27th.
She was used there until 3 May and sailed that day bound for Tristan da Cunha, during that voyage she received a replacement radio transmitter dropt by a Hercules airplane, when her radio equipment failed. The dropt equipment was picked up by the workboat of the YORKSHIREMAN.
Arrived at Tristan da Cunha on 10 May and stayed there for 6 days.
24th May arrived east of the Falkland Islands, and the navy kept her there in a holding area, steaming slowly round in a five-mail area.
Sometimes used to pick up dropt men and stores parachuted in the sea.
She sailed on 5 June together with an other tug the SALVAGEMAN to South Georgia, where she assisted ships during berthing and transferring stores. She took also part in the refloating in the Argentinean submarine SANTA FE in South Georgia.
19th Arrived at Port Stanley.
28 July, she assisted by the refloating of the grounded TOR CALEDONIA.
The next day her crew was relieved and flown back to England. The YORKSHIREMAN stayed in the Falklands at least to the end of that year.
1988 Sold to Sembawang Salvage (IV) Pte. Ltd., Singapore and renamed SALVIGOUR.
1989 Sold to Slibail Portuguese de Loc. Fin. S.A. in Portugal, renamed in COMENDA.
December 2005 sold to Jens Alfastsen Rederiet, Stenderup, Denmark and renamed MIRA A.
http://www.equasis.org gives for 2006, same owner, IMO No 7621504, under Danish flag and callsign OVJH2.
SG629
source: Buitenlandse Sleepboten. Marine News 2006/353. Merchant Ships at War, The Falkland Expedition by Capt. Roger Villar.