The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society

The Daniel Adamson preservation Society (DAPS) is the volunteer led charity behind the £5 million restoration project that has returned the “Danny” back to operating service. DAPS is a relative newcomer to the heritage sector, only formed in 2004 sometime behind the development of the majority of transport heritage societies which were inspired by legendary figures such as Tom Rolt and Charles Hadfield shortly after the end of the Second World War. Although little more than a decade old, the achievements of the volunteers have been amazing with the vessel fully restored back to original condition as at 1936 when it left John Browns Shipyard and returned to service all within 12years of acquisition. To achieve charitable status which DAPS has done with registration no 1104681 a clear aim was needed and was not difficult to define. The aim is “To conserve and restore to full working order, the steam powered tug tender and to operate her in and around the Mersey Estuary and Cheshire for public benefit”. The work to achieve this aim began on 10th April 2004 when legal ownership of the vessel was formally transferred to DAPS whilst at the same time the first of many corporate sponsors, Svitzer Marine, provided a powerful modern tug “Ashgarth” (56 ton bollard pull) to tow the vessel out of Ellesmere Port on her journey into restoration in Liverpool Docks. The saving of the “Danny” within hours of the scrap man lighting his torch was to be of national maritime historical significance. The “Danny” has a pedigree of being the only surviving vessel of design of ship termed the tug –tender. These were vessels designed with the dual role of both being powerful tugs to move the great ocean going ships of the day around in port whilst at the same time having significant passenger carrying capability. In the case of the “Danny” she was licensed to carry some 100 passengers which she frequently did when traversing the Mersey from Ellesmere Port to Liverpool.