Massey Shaw Fireboat

17/08/2026

Visitors to West India Dock last week. The Italian Navy training vessel.

03/08/2026

Better late than never! 🚒⚓

A few months ago, we had the absolute pleasure of hosting a brilliant group of LFB Fire Cadets aboard Massey Shaw.

Volunteers Bill, Bill, and David played hosts for the day, showing these impressive young people around our historic fireboat.

What made this visit extra special was the incredible connection between our crews—some of these very Cadets actually helped build the replica Massey Shaw model featured in the Lord Mayor’s Show and at St Paul’s Cathedral! Seeing the next generation of firefighters engage so passionately with London's maritime fire-fighting heritage was a true highlight for us.

Hands up—we owe you an apology for taking a few months to share these photos!

Engine room prep and restoration work got the better of us, but we couldn't let this visit go uncelebrated.

03/08/2026

Another vital piece of the puzzle is back where it belongs!

Our volunteer engineering team has successfully installed the brand-new main fire pump control spindle, bringing Massey Shaw one step closer to full operational readiness.

​This key update was made possible thanks to a grant from National Historic Ships UK. While it’s a bittersweet reality that we had to source this specialist work from across the globe in China—rather than keeping it with British manufacturers—we are hugely grateful for the funding that allowed us to recreate this vital historic component so accurately.

​The new spindle is now fully fitted and awaiting the return of the crank and remaining parts.

​Want to help keep London’s historic fireboat alive? We need you! 🛠️ Engine rooms don't run themselves, and neither does our charity. We are currently looking for volunteers to join our crew across several roles:

​🔹 Engineering Volunteers (Help us maintain and restore her historic machinery)
🔹 Open Day Hosts & Crew (Share our incredible history with the public)
🔹 Admin Support (Keep our day-to-day operations running smoothly)
🔹 Board Directors / Trustees (Help guide the future of the trust)

​Whether you're handy with a spanner, great with people, or have strategic skills to share, we’d love to hear from you.

​📩 Send us a message or visit our website https://masseyshaw.org to get involved!

​ UK Heritage

28/07/2026

FOR SALE: Chrome-Plated Brass Ship Voice Pipes (Lot of 3) – Charity Sale, all proceeds to ongoing works. Please share this post with anyone who may be interested!

Up for sale is a matching lot of three voice pipes: two ship voice pipes (speaking tubes) and one smaller auxiliary voice piece. These fascinating pieces of nautical engineering are being sold directly by the Massey Shaw Education Trust, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the ongoing maintenance and restoration of the historic London Fireboat Massey Shaw.

Purpose & History
Before the era of electronic intercoms and radios, vessels relied on physical voice pipes (also known as speaking tubes) to transmit spoken commands between critical stations, such as from the Bridge to the Engine Room or the Steering Position.

These unpowered, mechanical communication systems relied on beautifully crafted horn pieces to focus sound waves over long distances. To get an engineer's attention, a crew member would blow into the tube, sounding a removable whistle at the other end.These voice pieces are identical to the systems used in early-to-mid 20th-century vessels, including historic fireboats and Dunkirk "Little Ships". This is a rare opportunity to own a tangible piece of maritime engineering while supporting an important preservation project.

Item Details

What’s Included: Two (2) standard-sized voice pipe pieces with hinged covers, and one (1) smaller matching voice piece.

Material: Vintage chrome-plated brass. These feature solid cast brass base bodies with a durable, polished chrome plating—a finish heavily utilized on 20th-century vessels to protect against salt-water corrosion while providing a clean, modern look. The highly reflective interior funnels remain beautifully preserved, complemented by an authentic external patina.

Condition: Good. These are salvaged/historic items showing authentic age, wear.

Please review the photos carefully to appreciate their condition.

Perfect For:
Maritime collectors, nautical decor enthusiasts, historical restoration projects, or anyone looking to display a unique talking piece with a rich backstory.

Looking for £150 including postage to UK address.

Please email [email protected] for more information or to make an offer.

04/07/2026

We were absolutely honored recently to welcome the Master and his Consort from the Worshipful Company of Firefighters for a recent visit to our historic vessel.

During their visit, they generously presented us with their official Company Shield. It has found its perfect home and is now proudly displayed in our crew space for everyone to see!

A huge, heartfelt thank you to the Worshipful Company of Firefighters for their presentation and their continued, invaluable support of the Massey Shaw. It means the world to our crew and volunteers.

👇 Check out the photos below of the beautiful new addition to our crew space!

01/07/2026

Could you help us please win £5000? 🫶

Please just click on the link below and vote for Massey Shaw Education Trust. 🔗

It would be a massive help as we continue to restore Masseys engines, conduct tours for the public and share the truly unique history of this vessel.

https://movementforgood.com/draws/special/community

Please share this post with your own community to spread the word!

We could receive a £5,000 donation with your help through the Movement for Good Draw.

29/06/2026

See the Massey Shaw fireboat in action! Our monthly water-pumping test happens on the first Wednesday of every month, normally starting around 11am.

The public can watch from the path along Thames Quay near the Dollar Bay building (E14 9AD). Guided tours can be arranged via our website—book yours today!

06/06/2026

CEO David Rogers just shared our latest progress on the mission to return this historic Dunkirk Little Ship to full working order.

​Here is what our incredible volunteers have been up to:

​Starboard Engine Progress: The engine is stripped down, and the massive crankshaft is officially out! It’s currently with specialists, and we expect it back in June or July to begin reassembly.

​Funding Milestone: We've raised an amazing £30,000 towards our £50,000 target to source worldwide parts for our 80-year-old vessel. A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far!

​Live Demonstrations: The port engine is fully rebuilt and operational! Come down to see our live fire pump demonstrations in action.

​📍 Visit Us: We are open to the public at West India Dock every Wednesday and Saturday (Please email before visiting to check). Come step aboard a piece of history!

​👉 Watch the full update from David here: https://masseyshaw.org/news/engine-and-fundraising-update-may-2026/

👉 Help us reach our £50k target to finish the starboard engine: https://masseyshaw.org/donate/

02 Jun Engine and fundraising update – May 2026 Posted at 22:53h in News by Massey Shaw Share Our CEO, David Rogers, talks through our current engine situation and status update on the rebuild plus the funding received to date and whats needed to get us near to completion. Tags: engine, fundraisin...

30/05/2026

We've just launched a new video detailing some of the activities, updates and events from April. It took us a little longer to edit and release this as we initially anticipated but have another recording in the pipeline.

What do you think of this format? Comment below feedback or any questions you'd like answered in the next recording. Or drop us an email at [email protected]

Watch on Youtube or our website here: https://masseyshaw.org/news/massey-shaw-activity-update-april-2026/

https://youtu.be/qcR5lMKvk-g

Join David, Bill and Tom as we discuss key updates from the Massey Shaw Education Trust and how we're moving forward with fundraising, engine repairs, events...