The John King is high and dry for hull painting

The John King tug-boat has been hauled up a slipway out of the Docks on a sledge at the Underfall Yard for work on her hull.  (Google Underfall Yard for it has a fascinating history).

National Historic Ship John King is a solid diesel tug,  built to tow cargo ships from Bristol City Docks to the mouth of the River Avon. The cargo ships – carrying goods ranging from paper pulp to sherry – needed the tug boat to steer them round the dangerous bends in the river.
 
Built in 1935, by the last major Bristol shipbuilder, John King spent 35 years towing on the river. She also had special duties, which included supplying drinking water to ships in dry dock, assisting at ship launchings and putting vessels into dry dock and occasionally pulling grounded vessels back into deep water.
 
During the Blitz, John King spent 17 action-packed days in Pembroke Dock fighting fires in the oil installations. On her way back to Bristol she was attacked by a German aircraft.
 
But as trade to the Bristol docks declined and motor ships became less reliant on tugs, John King’s workload gradually disappeared. Her last big job for the towage company was watched by thousands of spectators when on 6 July 1970 she acted as escort to the SS Great Britain as the ship was towed from Avonmouth on the last leg of her voyage from the Falkland Islands. John King towed the Great Britain from Canons Marsh to her dry dock in the Floating Harbour.
 
Eventually she was bought by Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives and fully restored to her former glory. She can be seen at Princes Wharf in front of M Shed.

Author Paul Townsend

The extra is a poor mallard drake that I spotted near my boat.  It had a curved piece of waste plastic curled around its neck and into its bill and down its throat - the RSPCA have been called as it lies in the reed bed and I haven't a canoe/ clothing/boards or whatever will be needed to deal with it.