During a visit to Maldon I had opportunity to get closer to a little gem of a barge yacht. I’d seen her on the water some years ago but not had a real look…

How the vessel works as a sailing vessel I have no idea: down sizing, as has been done here, reducing everything in proportion is not usually conducive to creating something that works. It looked as if the little ship is made of ‘tin’ so must be the smallest of the iron pots as steel/iron barges were referred to when they first appeared back in the latter decades of the 19th century.  Of course, some of you will know that down in Cornwall, yes Cornwall, a new iron pot is under construction at a yard up the River Fowey.

Anyway, here is Maldon’s smallest ‘member’ of the spritsail barge fleet … the little Hope.

The barge yacht Hope at Maldon.

A closer look at Hopes’ hull.

The aft end, everything is as it should be…

A look forward – note her scale barge boat. It is 1m in length.

A bow view.

One wonders what is below: no allowance has been made to give cabin space. I have assumed that she is used purely as a ‘dinghy’ insomuch as she isn’t or can’t be used as a cruiser … I’d like to be corrected if any reader knows!

One thing is certain, she’s probably cheaper to run than the real thing.

Also in Maldon is probably the first barge yacht to be built, the 1887 Dinah, seen at The Downs Road Boatyard, a little further upstream.

Here is a ‘proper’ little barge, proportioned such as she is actually a useful entity. Note the relatively high sides – these were raised by ‘a plank’ to give greater headroom below. Perhaps Victorian gentlemen and their ladies ere a tad shorter 130 years ago!headroom below. Perhaps Victorian gentlemen and their ladies ere a tad shorter 130 years ago!

Here too is the full sized real thing, that is the aft end of the Dawn on the lower berth at Cook’s yard.

Two views of the real thing as seen on the Dawn…

Back to the little Hope, I loved her…