Having made a coastal passage up to the Walton Backwaters, my second port choice. Pin Mill was the original destination but when the wind tracked round from south-west to north by the time I’d reached The Naze, it was a no brainer… So here I am!

Last evening I enjoyed a pleasant pottery sail from a mooring a little above Stone Point in Twitch, my game little tender. A crowd aboard a barge, the Pudge, owned by the Thames Barge Trust, and being a ‘sleeping’ member, I suppose she belongs in some small part to me too … those aboard wouldn’t have known that though! There they all were, sitting in a neat line on the main hold hatch top (probably awaiting their call to dinner…), with a nice sailing dinghy still upside down on the hatch, unused… Shame on them all… Hey Ho.

I had a shufty up into The Dardanelles,  creek known to Ransome’s fictitious sailing children. Various waders sifted the edges, some lifting off to alight further on, only to do the same again… Funny: a human would go behind. I was aware though that I could have been disturbing their feeding time. Then it was back to my own supper…

Ah, didn’t sleep well … mate is away at home. After doing an hour or so of some typing for an article for a yachting mag I slipped a reef into my mainsail: I was planning a ‘gentle’ potter around the creeks, ditch-crawling. The wind though, by now and easterly, had puffed up a bit.

Oakley Creek’s seals…

It was around two hours before high water.  So, slipping my mooring with all sail set, I cut across Island Point with around 2m beneath me – plenty. here to first … ah yes, Oakley Creek of course, to check out the seals and preserve the right to navigate the channel up to the chemical/explosives jetty.

The Dock.

The tide was just below the height of the saltings and knowing that there is as much as a metre drop to the mud edge, at least, along most runs I judged I had plenty of water. The saltings was flooded with colour from a profusion of sea lavender – it’s a good time of the year to see and appreciate this wonder. There were several groups of seals along the way up. Reaching the top, there’s nothing else to do but turn round … there then ensued a frenetic bout of tacking. The iron tops’l was needed to clear away from an edge where I had dug the plate in. All part of the fun…!

Tacking out…

Reaching Hamford Water again I made for Landermere on a direct run. ‘Tacks back…’ I muttered, grinning and wishing my mate was beside me. Sweeping round into the creek’s entrance a chap called out, ‘…you look lovely…’ then quickly adding, ‘…the boat I mean…’ We laughed!

Two toppers came whooshing past with skimpily clad females aboard – colleges are out for the summer and it’s that age group one sees first at this time of the year – schools have another week to go! It was great to see the two young ladies enjoying the exciting conditions. There were many little cruisers and day sailers out, revelling in it … larger boats seemed to rely on that iron beast below their cockpit soles.

Purple sea lavender in the saltings.

I was in the top section of the creek, noting an underwater shallow patch, like a point, reaching out waiting to trap the unwary, on the turn in towards Landermere Quay. On the way I passed a nice looking motor cruiser, dating probably back to the 50s or 60s. Aboard was a swim suited lady who called out, ‘Lovely boat … what name?’

‘Whimbrel,’ I shouted back.

‘So’s mine,’ came her call as I swept by.

Reaching the area off the quay I felt it prudent to turn. I have gone beyond, but I wasn’t going to today… Up the little creek that runs alongside the sea wall above the quay’s group of buildings sat a barge yacht with her mast down. I thought she looked like the Landrail – known to have been recently moored in Kirby Creek.

Landrail, a concrete built vessel, up at Landermere Quay.

The work then really started … I ended up tacking all the way out and down Hamford Water. Reaching the little motor cruiser again the lady was dancing around on her cabin top taking pictures – clearly a lady who was at home on her boat. She’s going to send me some shots – I’d been able to communicate my web address: it has a contact form!

My dancing girl…

I’d thought, perhaps, after a slight wind shift I’d get a reach back down to the Walton Channel … alas, it was only a local ‘inland’ shift. In the distance I could see craft coming in under reduced sail – the easterly clearly picking up its

Romping out of Landermere…

It was easier on me once the tide turned and I felt its action on the boat as soon as I re-entered the Hamford channel. Its length soon disappeared in the boat’s wake. From Oakley Creek, the easterly swell and tide rip over the wind had set up short seas. The edges were boiling brown and I kept well clear … no point in risking a touch ‘n’ go. The tide was higher than when I’d departed so I swept across the point again, immediately the water went smooth. The buoyed channel not s far away was boiling cauldron. Boats were swerving and shearing about. A motor fishing day boat made a hasty turn, rolling her sides into the slop, while I carried along in a world of my own.

I know the channel is buoyed for good reason, but why do shallow draft craft stick to it when logic dictates there is plenty of water over the ‘shallows’ … the decks of those barges are 2m above the flats … so if tide is at that level then that is the minimum depth. There you go …

Cutting the corner with more than 2m under me…

It was a grand sail, 12 nautical miles of ditch-crawling. I felt good, but, boy, it was hard work!

I was left wondering though at just how many of craft’s owners REALLY get to see these backwaters. I’m going to be bold and say, not many: the Walton Channel and the marina grabs them…

Transoms vary an awful lot, but do they really?

Some transoms are handsome for sure, especially amongst the ‘classic’ fraternity, others less so.

What they all collectively share is that the shape has a great deal to do with the overall look of a vessel, its hull lines and runs aft. Some rise up above the waterline whilst others squat , by design, into the sea.

Squatting causes drag – the tumbling back of the water flow instead of running clear. My own Finesse 24 suffers from ‘prop squat’ under power causing a drag from the transom – under sail the transom sits clear and pretty…

Modern yachts, in general, have been given by their designers a retroussé stern in the fashion of a sugar scoop. This has several fundamental uses, ease of swimming from, alighting from dinghy and stern mooring access…

A modern ‘sugar scoop’ hind quarters…

Some aft ends are flat others a wine glass shape – especially with deep keelers – whilst others mimic the ‘barge’ shape. Many others often bare a resemblance to the bawley  behind, akin to a babycham glass -remember those?

I wandered recently around a yard on the River Crouch and looked at a few transoms noting a few more in passing on the water…

A Stella’s stern – a typical wine glass…

A southerly’s transom next to a steel built semi deep draft vessel – remove the angularities from the steel boats behind and the shape is profoundly similar to the modern GRP boat’s…

Above and below are two similar types. Top a Memory class day sailer and below a small traditionally built cruiser from 50 or so years ago…

Note too how there appears to be a similar level of immersion down to the tuck.

These two, above and below, represent two motor cruiser types. Maverick is a classy planning vessel designed for speed, whilst the other represents a more traditional displacement type and very common amongst ‘gentleman’s yachts’ of the inter war (1914-18 & 1939-46) era.

I have added: the shape is mimicked by yachts, a typical barge transom.

The 1900 registered Ironsides, now largely a steel vessel, at her mooring below N. Fambridge. She’s owned by the yacht station manager Toby Lester and his wife … living aboard with their young son … brings back memories for me!

The Elizabeth Anne at Tollesbury – she is currently for sale. The vessel is a good example of a barge-yacht from the 1930s – then the type was popular with cruising yachtsmen (and women too, surely…).

The Angela & Peter owned by ‘JP’ Lodge at her mooring at Tollesbury … currently being fitted out. 

So there we are … just a few of the types that can be seen and appreciated around the N. Kent, Essex and Suffolk coastal rivers…

Around the east coast areas from Suffolk down to N. Kent it isn’t unusual to come across abandoned vessels tucked into the salting or out on some mud flat. While in Scotland recently, around the Western Isles, I came across a group of abandoned fishing vessels ‘laid up’ alongside a shallow stone built wharf.

Laid up Scottish fishing craft on Mull.

It is likely that the boats were laid up under some scheme to reduce the number of boats fishing for reduced fish stock. However, I’m only surmising. One of the craft seemed to have been in a particularly good condition when abandoned. A photograph seen, for sale a vast expense, showed the vessels as they were at an earlier date: much superstructure has been removed – probably steel scrap. Who wants a tired old wooden hull…

Three Scots lasses…

These boat types can be seen being used as house boats and even yachts around the coasts, especially in the Thames estuary areas. The Scottish Isles isn’t really the place for that sort of life, gorgeous it can be on a good day … but whilst we were there enjoying a period of the finest of weathers over nearly two weeks the local population moaned constantly about the weather!

This one hadn’t long been sat here…

A happy clump of thrift! growing where once caulking an bitumen kept out the sea…

Here I am, sitting in my cockpit, bobbing to the ebb tide swell off Harty Ferry, thinking and remembering these things. Why? Well, just upstream of us sits one of these fishing boat types. Apparently a conversion project. This one though rests beneath the murky silt laden waters of the East Swale … the likelihood of it being lifted is small: a ‘quality’ north cardinal has been placed just to the north of the wreck … only the vessels whip aerial shows above the waves…

Earlier this year whilst coming home from Faversham in February a bit of the wheelhouse was visible at low water…

Another little ship I saw was this one …

The Sea Nymth of Dervaig, Isle of Mull.

Tired of keeping the uneasy seas found around the Isle of Mull out of her bilges she has been hauled ashore, quite high up actually, to act as an advertising board for an art gallery … which we stopped at to admire much very expensive works. In comparison, artists around Leigh and other east coast ‘hot spots’ are selling for a pittance!

Poor old thing … but I liked her.

Tomorrow, on our way up Faversham Creek, we will pass many an old ship. A grand mix including a wooden Thames lighter (Bombay), fishing craft, a long abandoned smack that until recent years still had a cabin lamp hanging from a beam, an old ‘fifer’ and more besides…

The motley collection in the first reach of Faversham’s creek…

It seems that there remains a place for old ships to die gracefully, gradually diminishing year by year. For me they provide moments of wonder and awe of the life they once had, the men, and women perhaps, that manned them. The joy they gave or just the plain daily graft…

Ah well!

Ah yes, we’re going to make it here this season: strangely, but for reasons rather unusual, we (I) have yet to depart northwards. A little something about a person’s 60th and a jaunt around the waters bounding the western isles’ of Scotland came first… We’ve been unfaithful!

Whimbrel sailing out of Faversham on a fine winter’s evening by Tim Mulcahy.

Whilst the boat was out of the water at Alan Staley’s yard this last winter a personable lady came along and asked if we (Whimbie, me and my good mate) would care to join in with the Faversham Nautical Festival taking place at the beginning of July. The lady was Lena Reekie, herself the owner of a lovely little Dauntless cutter. Lena is someone we’ve oft passed on the water over many years … but we’d not met formally until our face to face as Whimbrel was being set up on the launching slip after her work.

A Festival view from Lena Reekie…

So yes, we’re off to the festival. I’m told it is a fun packed weekend!

The event runs over the weekend of  Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th July 2015 with many of the craft arriving on Friday’s tide.

See: http://www.faversham.org/visit_faversham/nautical-festival.aspx

For interested souls I have been asked to bring along a selection of my books, which I shall be doing.

The boat will be berthed over on the Brents moorings along with a fine little 21′ cutter, the Ivy May, seen below, where accompanied access may be permitted. A concise history of the class will be on display – chapter 2 in my ‘Jottings‘ carry’s the builder’s story…

The Ivy May on the River Medway on way to Finesse Rally at Chatham Marina in May 2014.

My mate and I will be very happy to see you aboard…

If can’t contact, call on 07747 712505 during the event.

Up Lawling Creek there has for many years been one of the friendliest little marinas we’ve had the pleasure to drop into – The Blackwater Marina. http://www.blackwater-marina.co.uk/

My mate and I recently went over to those parts, by road, for a visit to the Sea-change Sailing Trust to deposit a collection box … while there we noticed that the bar & bistro had been givena make-over. When last at the marina by water the bar and new bistro were being run as separate entities, however, a new team has come aboard and all looks even better, especially for discerning boaters who love a good meal ashore from time to time…

The Bistro’s calling card with contact information…

Alongside the changes in operators and decor, the owners have purchased a section of the unused field across the marina access lane from the sailing club which has been fitted out as a ‘beer’ garden.

Now for some details:

Breakfast is served from 0900- 1200 on Saturday & Sunday.

Luncheon is served 1200-1800 from Monday to Saturday. (& Sunday)

Bistro evenings, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 1800-2100.

Booking is advised for evenings and on Sunday for luncheons.

If berthed in the marina, do say and there is a ‘customer’ reduction…

Enjoy: we are certainly heading that we in the near future…

My next book is getting closer to fruition … I now have the ISBN and over cover details.

Title: Swinging the Lamp – Thames Estuary Tidal Tales

ISBN: 978-1-78155-478-2

Price: £18.99

Size: 248 x 172

Pages: 224

Plates: Aproximately 110 with a colour section of 75 plates.

More details on my ‘books’ page…

Some while ago I received a communication from the Medway Barge Match Committee asking if I would like to compile and deliver the post barge match report at the prize giving event … the mate was also asked to present the various cups and platters. We were both honoured to be asked and to accept.

Historical preamble: This year’s event is the 50th since the matches were restarted following the ending of the trading barge events on the Thames and Medway in 1963. My father was part of the initial committee that organised the 1965 and following years’ events… of the barges that sailed in the 1965 match, five are still sailing. These are Centaur, Edith May, Marjorie, (My) Kitty and Mirosa. The last two were not taking part in this year’s event, although Peter Dodds, Mirosa’s owner, had hoped to. In those days auxiliary barges would often take their propellers off…

I took part in that event aboard the May Flower as a 10 year old with my three siblings. Graham, the eldest, took part as crew. It was to be the last barge match that we sailed aboard the barge – for reasons I explain in my book, The May Flower: A Barging Childhood.

Waiting for the tide…

Before we set off, by water, we had the antifouling of Whimbrel’s bottom to complete … it was done over two tides, completing on the morning of Thursday … sailing off as the boat floated for a night in Queenborough. On Friday we sailed up to the Medway YC, hosts for the evening event, where I had booked a berth.

We attended the pre-match briefing at the Medway YC and met the day’s race officer, Roy Potter, wife Linda, time keeper, Committee men Ray Rush and Dave Brooks, and two MYC men, rules man Ian Pearson and an artist, Christopher Burdett. Christopher was collecting three of us for the drive to Chatham Marina in the morning at 0600. We were being collected by Ian in a trot boat at 0530 first though… Our Committee boat was a Rodman 48, Song & Dance. See Chris Burdett: www.minigalleryworld.com

The Song & Dance awaited us.

My job, observe, take notes and compile a ‘witty’ post match report to deliver at the evenings prize giving!

So what happened…

The day dawned with a light and fickle westerly, but the forecasters spoke of it becoming northerly before strengthening from the NE! Barges that strayed down towards the line found it difficult to turn and stem the ebb – those that kept upriver found conditions easier, however river room is lees off St Mary’s Island… The Edith May strayed below and the committee started muttering about a penalty: the coasters were jostling above her. Eventually she sailed clear.

Lady of the Lea and Lady Daphne jostle slowly on the line.

The coasting class was led away by the Lady of the Lea, early, opting for a 15 minute penalty and clearly wanting to give her bulkier sisters a chance! She was followed by the Lady Daphne, making her way over in a stern first slide. Cambria then came down sensibly, cleanly sailing over, 40 seconds before a charging Centaur.

The Edith May then did her best to hang on the line, but each time the wind lightened, she made majestically sternwards yet heading for Upnor! Eventually she started her engine and cleared the line … and the engine was seen to ‘die’ before the 5 minute gun. She was first over, followed by Repertor, Niagara and Marjorie (sailing with the stays’ls after breaking her bowsprit on the Thames the previous week…). It wasn’t long before the Niagara had passed into second class spot to chase the Edith May. Marjorie passed the Repertor too … this order was to remain stable until near the finish.

Edith May and other starters awaiting their gun…

It was now the turn of the bowsprit class, of two, Edme and Adieu. Edme crossed barely 60 seconds after the gun!

All barges were then sailing with quartering breeze sedately down river. Closing, in the committee boat, with barges rounding Darnet Ness it was clear that the wind had gone north-westerly here … far ahead it was clear that those in Kethole Reach were hardened up. “Going north…” was the general comment aboard the boat. Those still in Long Reach were romping along.

The Edme rounding Darnet Ness.

“Be NE afore too long…” Roy chipped in with a big grin.

Down in Blackstakes the Cambria had at long last overhauled the Lady of the Lea, then ’15 minutes behind’ due to her penalty… Roy was right! Cambria put the first tack in under the wharves at Sheerness. All barges followed suit as they arrived at a similar spot. Close in by the cranes, Edith May and then Niagara slipped serenely past the Lady Daphne as if she wasn’t there.

Down in the harbour, Edith May, Lady Daphne and Niagara. 

A ‘melee’ of barges tacking…

The harbour was soon a melee of tacking spritsail barges, a glorious and satisfying sight. What the men from many Nations on several ships berthed, wondered, we will never know…

It was strange to witness the Repertor sailing vanguard in her class. Through the body of the fleet the Edme frolicked, a cat playing with prey, carving her own race passing barge after barge. The Adieu seemed a long way behind at this point.

Edith May shoulders aside the river’s waters…

The Niagara begins to lift her skirts and fly…

Outside the freshening north-easterly was throwing up a good wind over tide chop. Chines were dipping in and out as crews settled in for a long slog out to the turning mark, then still the Medway Buoy. On the committee boat thoughts turned to just keeping warm up on the wind swept flying bridge.

“Too much human ballast” said one aboard the committee boat!

Coffee came at regular intervals. We’d been fed bacon rolls earlier, a little after getting underway – wonderful! I must say here that the crew, husband and wife team of Robert and Jane, were brilliant and looked after us all very well indeed.

The committee made a snap decision to turn the fleet at No.1 Buoy with the Cambria, fleet leader, approaching fast on a port tack. She went smartly and faultlessly round in a fine display of seamanship. She was sailing a blinder… Edith May was next. Ah yes, but as she came off the Cant and met the deeper water the wind seemed to change … as she got closer, non committee members were saying, “luff, luff…” she didn’t and had to put a tack in. Ultimately this tack was to prove her undoing… Niagara swept down and rounded a little after the Edith May. This was going to be a race!

Edme rounds the mark.

Three more rounded…

Edme too came ‘motoring’ in from the Cant. We saw the same thing happen. She luffed up a little and made it cleanly past. What a girl… The Lady of the Lea made a classy yacht like turn round the pin inside the Marjorie in what I thought was one of the highlights of the day. Marjorie had earlier passed the Repertor. Out over the Nore the Lady Daphne was completing a pirouette as if practising her rounding … she came out of that and cleanly sailed round!

After a short period the Adieu thundered down on the committee boat, now on the wrong side of the buoy (!), to round with the Repertor hotly in her wake. I thought we were about be converted back to a mass of chopped fibre glass matting… The good old Centaur after a long reach out into the Thames came down on the pin perfectly to turn for home and chase her sisters home. I wish she’d fully hoisted her topsail though … I could hear the echo of my father’s voice,”…get it up…” from years beforehand.

Inside the river the Edith May caught up with and overtook the Cambria. Niagara was by then snapping at the Cambria’s transom. The order astern had largely settled and hardly seemed to change from the vantage point aboard the committee boat.

Niagara accelerating past the Cambria.

On the committee boat it was decided to ‘watch’  the three leaders. We had to be on station too for the finish timings too… Looking back the Edme could be seen crowding on sail, not her biggest suit, but she had eight bits of cloth up on her slender spars… She was catching up, “Be in Pinup when the first finishes…” I told my mate when asked what I thought.

Got it … and I’m not letting go, she sighed…

Approaching Sharpness the Niagara seemed to find wind and she literally accelerated past the Cambria closing the gap on Edith May. All the way down Kethole a mere few barge lengths separated them. Clearing Oakham Ness both barges surged along the edge of the deep water channel, the, strangely, held close to Kingsnorths old coal jetty … both lost wind. However, the Niagara closed to within tea passing distance and as they cleared the lee of the giant building the Niagara was seemingly trying to climb aboard the Edith May (A lift perhaps!). It was exciting stuff, but surely tense on the two vessels fighting for that little extra.

The die was set as the two swept round into Gillingham Reach. Niagara took a line along the edge of the yacht moorings on the Hoo Island shore and held her slender lead to the finish, beating Edith May by just on a minute. Followed by Cambria and Edme…

It was then a case of settling down and timing each finisher over…

Adieu, one of the most strikingly pretty barges afloat, crosses the line…

Coasters: 1st, Cambria; 2nd, Lady Daphne, 3rd Lady of the Lea, 4th, Centaur.

Staysails: 1st, Niagara; 2nd, Edith May; 3rd, Marjorie; 4th, Repertor.

Bowsprits: 1st, Edme; 2nd, Adieu.

Seamanship: For a ‘model’ sail, Cambria.

A good match between these grand old ladies. Nine starters, nine finished. No accidents and nothing broken or anyone hurt … a good day. Well done to all…

One of the Edme crew receiving one of their trophies from Christobel Ardley…

A sailing friend who we (That’s the mate and me) have a lot of time for, and his mate too of course, contacted this week with news that they have sadly put their lovely Finesse 24, Josie, up for sale.

The boat is sail/hull number 63 and was built at the same time, more or less, as our Whimbrel. I was away at sea so Alan Platt wasn’t going to be launching our new boat until the spring of 1984, but Josie went away as soon as completed. Until she pitched up in the Ray channel of Chalkwell a couple of summers back I hadn’t seen her for 30 years.

Josie at her mooring in Oare Creek, near Faversham, Kent.

Josie’s previous owner did a huge amount of work on the hull of the boat and she has fabulous topsides. That owner sold the boat on to the current owner who sold his Finesse 21 at the same time … unfortunately they miss the F21, although loving the additional volume and the standing headroom… Funny old world.

It is clearly obvious that the owner has done a huge amount of work to cabin side varnish work…

The owner can be contacted on: grahamhadaway@lineone.net and full details can be obtained.

The boat is also listed on a boat sales company site.

Both pictures courtesy of Graham Hadaway, who is currently exploring possibilities…

I recently added to my collection of ‘east coast’ literature in the form of Frances B. Cooke’s, London to Lowestoft published in 1906 by Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson, Ltd. It was a book I had little knowledge of until spotted in a book sellers listing and although I have yet to read it, it seems a little gem.

My copy of Frances B. Cooke’s London to Lowestoft…

Although it is subtitled ‘A cruising guide to the East Coast’ it has only two chartlets within. Both have sparse information. This seems strange for such a book, but it was published in a different age. The preface mentions that the ‘articles’ were originally written for the ‘marine-motorist’ for they were originally written for the magazine, Motor Boat. Messum’s East Coast Rivers was the coastal pilot of the time and it’ll be interesting to see if it was referenced, it being published in 1903.

The narrative reads as an informative story detailing things to watch for and what Cooke himself had seen… There are some fascinating old pictures and sketches of the types of navigation buoys then around our coasts. Until read, I can’t say more, other than I’m looking forward to it (after I’ve finished Hardy’s, The Trumpet Major!) and it will probably travel to Scotland’s western Isles’ where I’m going sailing with my good mate soon…

My mate has added it to her list of books to read too, so I’d better hide it!

Ah yes, further thoughts…

My sailing club, the Island Yacht Club, is building up quite a band of wooden craft. The berthing is suitable and has been for an age, but I believe it is the facilities available within the confines of the club’s grounds which enhance this – this essentially applies to all type of craft however.

There are now three active Finesse 24s, Calluna (until recently, of Poole), Gypsy and my Whimbrel. The latest to come in on the tide is Calluna, owned by a local couple who bought her last autumn and had her brought up by road from Poole Harbour. She has been in the Dauntless yard for the winter: the chap’s membership was awaiting processing when his boat appeared!

Sailing back towards our creek on Friday, my mate and I spotted Calluna entering the creek. Sailing under jib towards our mooring I saw that the boat had berthed next to Gypsy, my mooring neighbour. My mate grinned broadly at me, confiding later that she wondered if the mooring officer had deliberately berthed ‘us three’ together … apparently not. Another boat was sitting in Calluna’s berth. Perhaps I should have a friendly word with that club officer!

I didn’t have my camera with me … but later, whilst doing a spot of varnish jobs, I did.

The Island YC’s three Finesse 24s…

A look back at the sweet lines of three ladies…

The other two new arrivals are Dick Durham’s Wendy May, a gaff cutter, and a Seaking (a 28′ version, I believe) who’s name I currently do not know – but will soon, surely. The Seaking is owned by a dapper gentleman of considerable age of around 89, who has been an able member of the club’s work party for sometime, and his grandson – a little younger!

It is clear that the boat is in need of a good refit and work on that started as soon as she was settled onto her chocks.

I’m not an expert on these craft by any means. They have their fans, but for me they lack the sweetness of line that the Finesse range have. They are much flatter in the bilge too with a ‘big’ boxy transom with barely any tuck to the stern frame. A fine cruising craft she clearly is and after her sojourn ashore she’ll soon be in splendid shape too!

Work in hand… Note the flatness of her bottom.

Ah, so back to Cooke…

I have often wondered what Frances B. Cooke thought about some of these ‘modern’ wooden craft – craft that were around in his lifetime, albeit towards the end of his 102 years on earth… Cooke was quite uncomplimentary about shoal draft craft in his Practical Yachting Hints – something I have mentioned in one particular chapter in my book being published this year. He was a man of huge knowledge and common sense, but in his views on this matter, I profoundly disagreed!

I’d have loved to have had a chat…

Two things came up together this year, however one, the symposium, was booked months ago so that was that really. The other was the AGM of the Society for Sailing Barge Research (SSBR) which was being held in Gravesend on Saturday…

I went alone to the last event two years ago. My good mate had booked but had fallen ill … spending the day under the sheets! Yesterday we travelled up together (on a date!). She thoroughly enjoyed the event for it covered much social history as well as yards, the men and some ships. It was a good day…

There were papers on:

1.  John Dudman and the Grove Street Dockyard, Deptford. It was based immediately upstream of the old naval yard currently ‘buried’ under Convoys Wharf and subject to a planning application for des-res flats etc.

This was facinating stuff by a man, Chris Elmers, who has been heavily involved with the river and its history for many years becoming a key element of the Museum of Docklands…

2. Royal Shipbuilding on the Thames 1509-47 by Dr. Ian Friel. This was one of the drier ones but fascinating all the same: it covered the period immediately prior to the establishment of proper naval shipyards or dockyards as they were to become known as … a word not in general use until the late 17th century…

3. Charles II and Shipbuilding at Deptford. This is the yard sitting beneath the ‘Convoys’ wharf site a little upstream of Deptford Creek.

Old dockyard buildings on the Convoys wharf site – grade 2 listed. Note similarity to those at Chatham.

The Talk covered a little about the yard and how it was laid out then moved onto an amazing project that has been quietly getting underway, but still very much in the gestation stage. The plan is to get the developer involved in the project to connect the community with its old yard and waterfront. Deptford has suffered from being the close neighbour of Greenwich, yet it is itself a place of great historic importance too and much overlooked. It suffers from the ‘inner city’ problem too. A french project in a similar type of place has transformed the town, bringing in investment and tourists.

So, the plan is to build a replica of the first ship constructed in the Stuart building programme iniated in 1677 by Charles II. This was HMS Lenox – see below…

The two sides to an information card…

Preliminary discussions with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) have been fruitful. Interesting!

4. There then followed a paper by Professor Andrew Lambert on the fascination of Turner with the sea and what he was actually depicting during the troublesome Napoleonic period. Apparently, the canny artist’s pictures were essentially aimed at boosting Britain and pasting France!

Some of Turner’s output were Medway and Thames paintings – of waters he knew well. The famous Temeraire and tug picture was explained in that it was the tug, a steam driven vessel, which was the key feature, not the rotting old ship. It displayed British technology on a river producing the new generation of warships… Art eh! Wonderful!

5. This was followed by a fascinating insight by three Parsee Indians (high birth) from families who ran yards in Bombay. These were Jehangeer Nowrogee, Hirjebhoy Merwanjee and Ardaseer Cursetjee. The three gentlemen spent a couple of years studying aspects of naval architecture, shipbuilding and methods. This knowledge was taken back to the yards in the then East India ‘run’ India.

Indian yards built many ships of the line, one of which the Trincomalee is still afloat and rigged up in Hartlepool Docks Museum.

Loved this – brilliant.

6. Des Pawson, a man known of by many east coasters and those beyond for his knowledge and books on knots and rope work, then talked about the London men and women who made the tools needed by sailmakers…

It was stated that Des was a sail maker by the announcer, but this was news to me. The need le manufacturing trade was driven from Londo and went to Bromwich in the midlands in the 14th C. However, it appears that some London makers survived: it was largely a cottage industry. ‘London’ needles were highly regarded!

Enjoyable.

The Docklands History Group leader summing up at the end…

7. A paper by Stuart Rankin & Dr. Roger Bowen, on the King & Queen Foundry near where the Surrey Canal entrance sits today followed. This firm amongst other things experimented with superheated steam in the 1830s – revolutionary stuff. Their forgings were essential in the growth of steam engines, rods and shafts being their speciality. Forged links became important in railway bridge building too … the paper was delivered by a secondary, who’d worked on it because the originator was ill… It lacked some essential excitement, but was educational.

8. Now this next one was a gem. A doctor (GP) came across a 50 page manuscript owned by a friend. It was written by the friend’s grandfather who had been a Cubitt Town shipbuilder. This was Dudgeons, a prolific shipbuilder virtually second only to Thames Iron Works by Bow Creek for a number of years.

The company built the first twin engined twin screw steam ships – these were fast and manoeuvrable vessels. Many went across to the Confederate States during their conflict (which still seems to be going on…) with the Northern States… The firm also built a ship with water jet propulsion – it worked, but didn’t catch on. Now of course for small shallow draft specialist craft it is almost standard.

9. There was a last paper on the steam coaster Robin… That is the ship which had a pipe load of dosh from Crossrail and the National LF to be dressed up and stuck up on a lighter. As far as I am concerned she is nothing more than a ‘gimmick’ however … the trustees are in need of funds to finish the job to be able to attract visitors … now here lies the problem.

I read’Cutty Sark’ … it will not be a ship.

I remember a barge, the little Seagull II stuck up on a plynth above the Thames until an enlightened man came along and had her taken to Gillingham … she could well be sailing again this year … is there a lesson here?

A Thames skiff  – working boat, restored and exhibited outside the lecture theatre…

We had a great day…