VIC56 is an 85 foot steamship constructed in 1945 as part of the wartime shipbuilding programme, and now preserved in working order by a small group of volunteers.
She is technically a steam coasting lighter or a ‘puffer‘and is one of 98 victualling inshore craft built to the orders of the Ministry of War Transport between 1941 and 1945, as part of the enormous Government wartime ship-building programme.
VIC 56 was one of two puffers built by Pollocks of Faversham.
Henry Cleary, the owner of VIC56, will be coming to speak about the boat at a Faversham Society open evening. With efforts going on to create a Heritage Harbour here in Faversham, now is a good time to consider whether VIC56 should come home to Faversham.
The Faversham Creek Trust is a member of the Heritage Harbour Group and the Bridge Steering Group and is working to regenerate Faversham’s Maritime Heritage.