Massey Shaw Fireboat

07/10/2026

Our spares container has officially moved to a new home at a farm near the M25 in Essex after spending a number of years at its previous location.
Thanks to some careful planning and a specialist mover, the entire container was loaded, driven, and unloaded with all the stock secured inside. Apart from a few engine rods hopping off their rack and onto the workbench, everything arrived completely intact!
All that’s left to do now is give it a good lick of paint. 🎨
Check out more updates here: https://masseyshaw.org/news/massey-shaw-activity-update-april-2026/

09/09/2026

Keeping a historic vessel like the Massey Shaw in top condition takes constant care, and behind the scenes, our maintenance work never stops! 🛠️⚓

Our team recently completed essential repair work on a set of steps onboard. Ongoing maintenance tasks like this are vital to ensure the vessel remains safe, sturdy, and accessible for everyone stepping aboard.

Thanks to our hardworking crew, the repairs are all wrapped up and we’re ready to welcome visitors!

Come explore London’s historic fireboat in person:
Step aboard to discover her incredible history—from serving during the Blitz to her heroic role at Dunkirk.

🎟️ Plan your visit & book a tour here: https://masseyshaw.org/plan-a-visit/

We look forward to welcoming you on board soon! 🌊🔥

07/09/2026

What a fantastic day at the Finchley Fire Station Open Day recently! 🚒🔥

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us—it was incredible seeing so many local families and community members coming out to tour the station, meet our crew, and learn about fire safety. We also raised nearly £200, so thank you everyone who donated!

A special shoutout goes to our dedicated team of volunteers whose hard work made this event possible. We couldn't do what we do without your energy and passion!

Want to help us make an even bigger impact?
We are always looking for passionate individuals to join our mission:

Supporters & Volunteers: Assist with community outreach, future events, and daily station initiatives. Or just subscribe to help fund our mission.

Board Members: Help guide our strategy, governance, and long-term vision to keep our community safe and connected.

If you are interested in giving back or learning more about these roles, send us a direct message or drop a comment below. Let’s keep Finchley strong and safe together! ❤️🚒

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!