Crowds lined Swansea Marina on Thursday evening to watch the Helwick lightship leave her berth — towed through the lock at sunset on the first leg of a £450,000 restoration.
The red-hulled vessel — moored in the marina since the late 1970s — was eased past the Pump House by the Swansea tug Veronica D on her way to Swansea Dry Dock.
Onlookers filled the quaysides and the lock edge to see her go, with phones held up as the sun went down over the masts.
Swansea Council says the restoration work will preserve the lightship for future generations, and that she will return to the marina “in a far better condition”.
Cabinet approved the spending of around £450,000 on the vessel last October, as part of what the council describes as a long-term approach to managing its maritime heritage responsibly.
Cllr Elliott King, cabinet member for culture, human rights and equalities, said: “This is an important step in safeguarding the Helwick and ensuring it can continue to be enjoyed as part of Swansea’s maritime heritage and the marina.”
“The Helwick is an important part of Swansea’s story at sea,” he added. “It has strong historical and cultural value for the city, and this work ensures it can continue to be part of our maritime heritage for many years to come.”
The move is one of four changes to the historic vessels associated with the marina — and not all of them are staying.
The Olga — a pilot cutter dating from 1909 which, like the Helwick, is listed in the National Historic Fleet of around 200 vessels of national significance — has been transferred to a specialist boatyard in Gloucester, where the council says she is being prepared for sale so she can continue under new ownership.
That marks a change from last October, when the Olga was one of three council-owned vessels earmarked for protection.
The steam tug Canning, built in 1954, is being moved towards what the council calls a new long-term home with a specialist maritime organisation. Talks with the Steam Boat Trust — which hoped to restore her over 18 months and potentially move her to its preserved fleet in Rochester — were already under way last autumn.
The Seamark, meanwhile, was removed from the marina last month and taken to Swansea Dry Dock to be dismantled.
The council says the Seamark had been abandoned in the marina for more than a decade, that efforts to trace her owners were unsuccessful, and that her condition had deteriorated to the point where she posed an environmental and pollution risk.
Cllr King said the council had taken “a practical and responsible approach” to the vessel, which was not part of its heritage collection but “had been posing environmental and safety risks to the area”.
“Our priority is to strike the right balance between preserving heritage and ensuring the marina remains safe, sustainable and well managed,” he said.
He said each vessel had been considered individually, taking account of ownership, condition, heritage value, environmental risk and the availability of specialist expertise.
No date has been given for the Helwick’s return. Under the plan approved in October, she will remain a static exhibit in the marina rather than being opened for the public to board.
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