Clyde Puffers

[johnr]

Can anyone help me with something that has been niggling away at me for years? Does anyone know if a number of Clyde puffers (a type of coastal boat) ended up in the Dodecanese? Let me tell you why i ask;
Many years ago, perhaps 15, I saw in Mandraki Harbour on Rhodes, a vintage boat doing day trips. It was a little steamer with a central funnel, called the "Total Scope". Now, aficionados of the Para Handy Tales will know that his boat was called the Vital Spark. I have seen old photos of the Greek islands which show similar vessels. Somewhere in the back of my mind is an article I may once have read, which may have said that a lot of puffers ended up in Greece. But my memory of this is very hazy, and may be unreliable!

Against this is the thought that Clyde puffers, with their flat bottoms for beaching and unloading at low tide, would not have been completely ideal for Greek waters.
Anyone any idea about this?

[janeandtony]

I thought that this post was going to relate to the smoking ban in Greece!!!

[Di]

The bottom posting by Treeve on the forum here www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?p=336344
makes mention of one ending up in Greece. A number of the Mersey ferries, which are also "flat bottomed" ended up in Greece as well.

[Deleted]

Daisy, I'm not by any means certain but I have a niggling suspicion that the Total Scope was an ex Danish Herring trawler. They do have some of the characteristics of the lovely puffers.

[Deleted]

I am most very sorry, that reply was for johnr and not Daisy. Why I did that I don't know. Possibly through reading about swine flu.

[daisy]

More why do I remind you of swine flu sth???

Thought after a slight mix up with my mate Liz on the swine flu post I better make it clear the tears are only crocodile ones

[Deleted]

Johnr, the only recorded movement of a Clyde Puffer to Greece was just after the end of WW2 when the ex.Maid of Lorn ex.Snowflake was sold by someone in Bristol. As she was built in the very traditional style in 1893 it is highly unlikely that she is a) still in service and if she is b) recognizable as a puffer. Some years back, the company Total Scope were taken to court for non payment of a considserable sum of money. I'm not certain they now exist.
The Puffer Forum and 'Para Handy' up in Inverary are not currently able to shed any light on your sighting. How many years ago was that?
I will keep poking around and if anything comes up, I'll post it. I see on reading back that it was about 15 years ago. I also remember the Total Scope years ago but haven't seen her of late. Next time I must go and have a nose about.

[johnr]

Thanks, everyone, especially Sth. I may be suffering from false memory syndrome about this thing!