Volume Three - The Pontoon Era - The new pontoon commissioning and its early use . . .

Reports state that the first vessel to be raised onto the new pontoon for repair was “The Baltzig of Riga” on the 8th March 1910. The image is dated the 10th March but, in the Newcastle Archives there is a “Report of Trials” also held on that date when the s.s. “Ethelhilda” was lifted upon the pontoon. The Evening Express of 15th April 1910 reported that during The Ceremony, 'In about eighteen minutes the 'Westgate', a steamer of 2,773 tons register was high and dry on the pontoon.'

Penarth Off-Shore Dock – Report on Trials :

The Engineer's Report of the Pumping Trials read:

"The “Ethelhilda”, a vessel of 2,430 tons displacement when docked, was lifted on 10th March. 1910. The vessel touched the keel blocks, and pumping was started at 11 hours 18¼ min., and lasted until 12 hours 39½ min., with four stops for shoring purposes, the net pumping time being 50 minutes. The depths of water in the various compartments were then taken, together with the freeboards at the four corners of the Pontoon and at the four central bilge-block tubes. These readings are given on the accompanying diagram. The mean freeboard of the pontoon [freeboard = distance from deck to water] is found to be 7”, and the total weight of water left in the Dock 2,016 tons. The calculations for the actial weight of the “Ethelhinda” and the lifting power of the Pontoon are as follows: