The MV Celtic is a historically significant vessel originally built as a Thames sailing barge in 1903 by Kievits & Van Reede in Papendrecht, Netherlands. Constructed with a steel hull, Celtic was spritsail-rigged, enabling traditional sailing operations along the coast of Kent, Essex, and the Thames Estuary. For the first 38 years of her service, she was operated by E J & W Goldsmith Ltd of London and Grays, Essex, primarily engaged in the brickmaking and papermaking trades. In 1941, Celtic was requisitioned for wartime service and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport. During this period, she was fitted with twin screws powered by a pair of Bergius diesel engines, marking a significant modification from her original sailing configuration. Her wartime role included serving as a barrage balloon base at Portsmouth and later functioning as a parent vessel in Chichester Harbour in January 1943. She also served in Scotland with Detachment Celtic, part of the Royal Marine Barrack and Port Defence (RMBPD). Following World War II, Celtic returned to commercial operations, owned successively by Vectis Shipping and Alfred Horatio Sheaf, both based in Newport, Isle of Wight. Her trade shifted primarily to cement transport, operating between Asham Cement Works on the River Ouse and the Isle of Wight. After the closure of the cement works in 1967, she continued working between the Isle of Wight and Shoreham-by-Sea or Greenhithe, before being laid up in Newport in 1969. Her final years saw her working in the ballast trade within the Thames area. Celtic’s official number was 118314, and her call sign changed from JGMC until 1933 to MKFZ by 1934. Currently, she is under restoration at Sittingbourne, Kent, preserving her legacy as a vessel of maritime and industrial history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.