
A boat, a legacy: A scrap dealer's tribute to Robert Bristow, the architect of modern Cochin port
But this is no ordinary restoration, and ML Vasco is no ordinary boat.
More than 105 years old, it is the boat that once ferried British harbour engineer Sir Robert Bristow — widely acknowledged as the architect of the modern port in Kochi — after he landed in Kochi in 1920. Seethi Sajar, a scrap dealer based in Thoppumpady, secured it in an auction held by the Cochin Port Trust in 2010 for Rs 2 lakh, only to realise its historical significance later.
'It was only after a Port Trust official told me that this was the boat used by Robert Bristow that I knew of the value of my possession. It was then that I decided I would not dismantle the boat but keep it for future generations to witness and understand his contributions.'
Bristow arrived in Kochi in April 1920 at the age of 39, under the direction of the then Governor of Madras, Lord Willingdon. Waiting for him at the waterfront was ML Vasco, which would become his constant companion during his mission to modernise the Cochin Port.
Though the port had been a major trading hub even before Bristow's arrival, its expansion was hampered by the lack of a safe inner harbour for ships.
'The Cochin Port was a natural port, attracting Portuguese, Arabs, Jews, Dutch, and British at different periods. Over the centuries, shipping technology underwent significant changes. Sailing ships gave way to steamships. However, huge ships could not come close to the Cochin Port due to a natural sandbar, and cargo loading and unloading were being done using small boats,' says Bony Thomas, nodal officer of Cochin Heritage Zone Conservation Society.
In 1926, Bristow brought a dredger, named 'Lord Willingdon', from Scotland to remove the sand and silt that prevented the entry of large ships at the port. Two years later, on May 26, 1928, a steamship, SS Padma, entered the inner harbour of the modernised Cochin Port, officially opening it to the world. This event is commemorated annually as the Cochin Port Day.
But Bristow didn't stop here. He used the mud and materials dredged from the sea during the modernisation of the port to create Willingdon Island, the largest artificial island in India. He filled the area around Veduruthy Island, a pre-existing small natural island, to carve out Willingdon Island in a sprawling area of 775 acres. He owned the first building on the new island.
'He later connected this human-made island to the mainland of Ernakulam through the Venduruthy bridge. He also connected the island and the mainland area of Thoppumpady through the Old Harbour Bridge, which was called the London Bridge of Kochi. It was an architectural marvel as its middle portion could be lifted to allow ships to pass through,' says Thomas.
In his book Cochin Saga, Bristow wrote how he marvelled at the scope of the Cochin Port when he touched down in 1920 and took the first trip on Vasco.
'It seemed all the blue lagoons of the southern seas had come to rest in the wide bosom of Mother India at Cochin, for each side there stretched an interminable vista fading only into the sky itself.'
Over the next two decades, he transformed Kochi's landscape as the 'interminable vista' evolved into a bustling port city, complete with wharfs, cranes, roads, and bridges. He oversaw the extension of the rail line from the old railway station in Ernakulam to Willingdon Island and the establishment of Harbour Terminus railway station on the island in 1932, mainly for freight movement.
Talking to the BBC in 1935, a proud Bristow said:
'I live on a large island made from the bottom of the sea. It is called Willingdon Island, after the present Viceroy of India. From the upper floor of my house, I look down on the finest harbour in the East.'
Bristow also played a key role in building a civilian airstrip on Willingdon Island in 1936, which later proved to be a crucial aircraft repair yard for the British during World War II. In 1953, the facility was commissioned as INS Garuda, the oldest operating air station of the Indian Navy.
Apart from his engineering laurels, Bristow, along with his wife, Gertrude, is credited with founding the inter-racial Lotus Club in Kochi. 'The Cochin Club in Fort Kochi allowed only fully British people. Gertrude had Belgian Jewish ancestry, making her ineligible. The couple opened Lotus Club to people from all races and backgrounds, almost like a statement to the British Raj,' says Stephen Robert, a Kochi-based heritage activist.
Bristow returned to England in 1941 and passed away in 1966 at the age of 85.
ML Vasco is unlike any modern vessel. Twenty-six feet long, six feet wide, and seven feet tall, with a two-cylinder diesel engine, it can accommodate 10 to 12 people. Built entirely from wood and copper, and without the use of iron, it has not rusted even after all these years.
For its restoration, Sajar sought craftsmen skilled in repairing wooden boats. His search eventually led him to Jaison and Janappan from Mulvakukad in Kochi. The two men are as enthusiastic as Sajar about the restoration efforts.
'We had heard about Bristow sayippu (a loosely used colloquial term in Malayalam for people of Caucasian descent) and it is a great privilege for us to now work on his boat,' says Jaison, adding that the instruction from Sajar has been to stay true to the original design.
The boat has two cabins separated by a central deck. A wooden ladder connects the central deck to the front cabin, which features two large oval windows on each side. The two men plan to install glass panes in these windows. The rear cabin has rectangular wooden panels and serves as the main seating area. The windows in the back cabin are rectangular and much smaller compared to those in the front cabin.
They have reattached the loose steering wheel and plan to replace the engine cover. What lies ahead for them is the not-so-easy task of lifting the boat and replacing the missing wooden planks on the bottom.
Sajar estimates the cost for the restoration work, which began over four months ago, to be around Rs 10 lakh.
For now, ML Vasco remains at a rented yard in Karuvelippady. But Sajar has bigger plans: once restored, the boat will be mounted on trolleys and transported to a three-acre plot nearby, which he bought recently. He intends to display Vasco in a fibre enclosure and unveil it during Onam.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
5.5k Raj schools dilapidated,need to be rebuilt, finds survey
Jaipur: At least 5,500 govt schools in Rajasthan are dilapidated and need to be rebuilt from ground up, says a preliminary survey after a school collapsed in Jhalawar leaving seven kids dead barely two weeks ago. The dilapidated tally is around 9% of 63,000 such schools surveyed in the state. The state education department, which conducted the survey, identified 85,000 school rooms that need to be demolished, and 2.5 lakh in urgent need of major repairs. Additionally, 15,000 school toilets were found dilapidated, while another 25,000 required major repairs. "Most buildings identified as dilapidated are over 30 years old. However, new buildings also need regular maintenance, failing which their condition will deteriorate gradually," an official said. Officials said the survey had laid the ground for a detailed structural audit in the next 30 days with govt engineers and teams of district collectors. Sources said at present, every school in the state was allocated Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 annually for overall maintenance. This amount, however, is usually spent on paying bills, regular upkeep and cleanliness, procuring stationery, among other small expenses, with barely anything left for infrastructure maintenance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 100% Online, Flexible Learning BITS Pilani Digital Apply Now Undo "Funds are being issued but until a proper budget is allotted for upkeep and maintenance of school buildings, the problem cannot be resolved. At present, funds are prioritised as per condition of schools," a senior official said. The state had sanctioned around Rs 170 crore for major repairs in 1,936 schools on July 29, four days after the school building collapse in Jhalawar. Education minister Madan Dilawar pledged more. "Budget has been released on priority for 1,936 schools and Rs 150 crore will be spent on repairs of 7,500 more schools," Dilawar said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Punjab CM lays foundation for waste treatment plant at Dera Sachkhand Ballan
Jalandhar: Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann Thursday laid the foundation for a sewage treatment plant and pumping station at Dera Sachkhand Ballan. Dera Ballan remains the most influential dera of the Ravidasia/Ad-dharmi community. Sharing details of the Rs 3.4 crore project, the CM said, "Once operational, the STP will have a capacity of 0.5 MLD (million litres a day). The project is expected to be completed within 12 months. It will help provide a clean and healthy environment for scores of devotees who visit the dera every day." On this note, the CM praised the dera and the welfare activities undertaken by it. He also paid his respects to the dera head, Sant Niranjan Das. The CM further said the treated water from the STP will help irrigate 13 hectares of land. Ministers Harbhajan Singh ETO, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Ravjot Singh, and Mohinder Bhagat, MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal, MLAs Balkar Singh, Inderjit Kaur Mann, and Jasvir Singh Gill, Punjab Safai Karamchari Commission chairman Chandan Garewal, and Punjab State Cooperative Bank chairman Pawan Tinu were also present on the occasion. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
CM transfers Rs 1,859 cr into accounts of 1 cr ‘Ladli Behna' beneficiaries
Bhopal: CM Mohan Yadav on Thursday transferred Rs 1,859 crore into the accounts of over one crore beneficiaries of the "Ladli Behna" scheme at a function held in Rajgarh district's Narsinghgarh. Additionally, under the 'Ujjwala Yojana', assistance amounting to Rs 43.90 crore was transferred with a single click to more than 28 lakh women. Yadav said the amount given to Ladli Behnas has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,250. It will be further increased to Rs 3000. So far, over Rs 41,000 crore has been distributed to Ladli Behnas in the state. There are 1 crore 27 lakh Ladli Behna in the state. Yadav further said "Raksha Bandhan" was not just a festival, but a symbol of the eternal bond between brother and sister that strengthens social unity and family values. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.