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Introduction
Heroic history
A massive task
Timber techniques
Relaunch

The Salvage Squad first encounter the fireboat, Massey Shaw, stranded up a muddy creek near Greenwich, in the backwaters of the River Thames. The team have two months to get it afloat.

Launched in 1935, the Massey Shaw was the first fireboat to be purpose-built for the Thames, and was named after Sir Eyre Massey Shaw, the Victorian founder of the London Fire Brigade. Two enormous diesel engines pushed the boat along at 12 knots. Once it reached the fire, the engines could be switched over to run two huge turbo pumps, pushing out over 3,000 gallons of Thames water per minute.

September 1935 brought the Massey Shaw's first major call out or 'shout', to a rubber warehouse at Colonial Wharf. The fire, which burned for six days, was the biggest London had seen in more than 100 years. The new boat emerged a hero from this difficult test.

Working amongst the docks and wharves of the Port of London, the Massey Shaw's pumping ability became legendary and it gained a permanent place in the affections of Londoners. The fireboat was used to rescue troops in the Dunkirk evacuation at the beginning of the Second World War and fought fires throughout the London Blitz, playing a major role in saving St Paul's Cathedral. It finally retired in 1971 after more than 35 years of service.

The restoration of the Massey Shaw presents the Salvage Squad with some tough challenges. They have to lift out one of the two six-tonne engines with a crane and repair it, fix the giant valves that control the flow of water to the pump, sort out the telegraph system that links the driver with the engine room and replace the massive timber bumpers on the outside of the boat.

Axel used to be a London fireman so he is especially delighted to be working on this project. He describes the Massey Shaw as the 'crown jewels' of the brigade.

While Jerry and Claire work in the engine room, Axel turns his hand to replacing the rotten timber bumpers on the boat's bow. He needs to bend 4-inch thick oak planks round the curves using an old shipwrights' technique.

With the help of experienced shipwright Julian Kingston, Axel seals the newly prepared oak boards into plastic ducting, which he fills with steam. The ducting has to be well insulated to prevent the steam from cooling off as it passes through as this would result in one end of the plank being steamed and becoming bendable while the other end remains stiff.

Axel removes the oak planks after they have been in the steamer for a few hours and are pliable enough to fit around the Massey Shaw's curves. Working quickly before the wood stiffens again, the thick oak planks are fixed carefully into place on the boat's bow. Axel and Julian are delighted with the result.

When Jerry and Claire have completed their work on the engine, telegraph and pump, the fireboat is ready to return to the Thames. They all feel a glow of pride as Tower Bridge is opened in honour of the heroic Massey Shaw.