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…