Liverpool man awarded rare maritime medal for restoring historic steamship he bought for a £1

Captain Dan Cross from Liverpool has received the prestigious Merchant Navy Medal for his efforts in restoring the iconic SS Daniel Adamson, which first set sail in 1903.

A Merchant Navy Medal is the highest medal of honour within the maritime sector and Dan Cross has more than earned his. He is one of fourteen winners this year, receiving the award on Merchant Navy Day.

Through his restoration efforts, he has supported young people from all backgrounds and abilities to learn, participate and eventually volunteer as part of the ship’s crew and go on to lead careers in engineering and across the maritime sector.

The SS Daniel Adamson previously transported cargo, passengers and royalty across the north west and was also armed for battle in the First World War. It was left decaying on display in a museum for over 20 years and last carried passengers in September 1984.

Dan took on the challenge to preserve history and bought the steam ship for £1 in 2004 when it was just 48 hours away from being scrapped. He built a team of one hundred volunteers to restore it to its former glory and after twelve years of exceptional hard work, including successfully securing £3.6m in lottery funding, the SS Daniel Adamson now sails around the northwest.

In the years since its restoration, Dan has kept the ship’s maintenance going through a network of volunteers, some of whom include young people from underprivileged backgrounds, who have all been trained up on core maritime engineering skills by the team of dedicated volunteers.

Captain Dan Cross said: “I am deeply honoured to be awarded this wonderful medal alongside some prestigious recipients over the years. I played a small part in saving and returning the Daniel Adamson back to operational condition for future generations to enjoy and benefit from. It is often said the ship runs on two things, steam and volunteers and this reflects what a magnificent team effort the project is.

He added: “Having worked on harbour tugs for nearly thirty years, the work of the harbour tug is often overlooked. As a key part of ensuring goods keep flowing in and out of the ports and harbours in the UK it is great that services to harbour towage is recognised and the work we do can be remembered through vessels like the Daniel Adamson which also offers great training and education opportunities.”