The Tug/Tender steam vessel Calshot was built for the Red Funnel Ferry Company and came into service with them in Southampton in 1930. Her role was to assist the large and (famous) ocean liners of the day to berth alongside or to embark or disembark passengers whilst they lay at anchor in the Solent. Her use as a Tender avoided the need for the liners to come alongside in Southampton's docks allowing the Liner Companies to avoid harbour charges or longer delays than necessary. She was designed to carry over 500 passengers with separate lounges and bars for First and Second Class passengers. In this image she is shown berthed at Southampton's Eastern Docks in April 2010 undergoing restoration by the preservation society who are now her owners. Her future is uncertain due to the high cost of restoring her hull and the lack of a permanent berth. A great deal of information is available on the Internet about her history, service, ownership and the work of the preservation society who are working to prevent her being scrapped and lost to the UK's maritime heritage.