Ditch-crawler goes on board the spritsail barge Dawn

After my piece about the spritsail barge Dawn and her tiller steering, I received a communication from Gerard Swift, a key member of the trust caring for the barge. He kindly offered to talk me through what the trust were doing and to look at the tiller itself.

Previous blog: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-visits-maldon-to-see-dawn/

Today I went back to Maldon…

Currently the barge is berthed at the Hythe, however, she has been assigned what is known as the Grid Iron berth astern of the barge blocks adjacent to ‘Cooks’ yard. This will be her new home base when not away sailing.

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Dawn with the Kitty outside of her at Maldon.

The Dawn was the last full sized spritsail barge to be built with tiller steering, and considering that when she was built in 1897, wheel steering had become the common form used for some twenty years or so. It had always been Gordon Swift’s dream to return the barge to as built. He wanted to remove her engine too… (Gordon was Gerard’s father and was the man that rescued Dawn from Heybridge Basin in mid 1960s.).

So, finding it difficult in todays charter market, the trust revisited its aims (other than keeping her sailing) to find a role in which good use could be made of her. The key now is heritage. As a heritage vessel she needs in all outward looks, to look the part.

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Looking down Dawn’s deck. Note there are no skylights to ‘despoil’ the working look…

The next stage is to remove her steel spars and replace with wood. Some Oregon pine may well be called upon here… The engines for she has a pair with shafts under each quarter, as Gerard says are likely to stay: once fitted the MCA may not wish them to be removed under the rules governing these vessels. Gerard would dearly like the engines removed though… The rig, when altered, will not have such a huge area as at present – her typical ‘stackie’ high aspect sprit will be reinstated too.

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Top of a ‘standard’ brail winch – this one is aboard the George Smeed.

Around the decks the coasting barge brail winch will be removed and a normal type fitted.

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Down in the main hold – she is ‘swept’ from forward to aft bulkhead.

With the above decks changes, the fo’c’sle is to be returned to standard barge fit: it currently serves as the galley… In the aft cabin, one bunk (The mate’s) was not refitted upon rebuild: half the area is given over to a chart table and instruments … this will have to stay! Gerard said that lights and other items such as knobs and locks will be returned to ‘Victorian’ items that were standard in the 1890s…

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The tiller…

The rudder was made and fitted to the barge around 30 years ago. The alterations were carried out by the boat/barge yard at St Osyths, where the engineless flyer EDME is based and owned.

The mizzen mast will be stepped on the top of the blade aft of the rudder shaft. The steelwork is currently being manufactured.

The tiller design came from old photographs and, fortunately, the tiller that came out of the Eva Annie, of 1878. The remains of this vessel sit off the Billet PH at Leigh-on-Sea. The tiller is in a museum in Gravesend, Kent… One of the things that has proved difficult to picture is where a restraining bar to keep tiller and rudder together was fitted. Currently it is atop, but is being refitted on underside.

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Carving in memory of Gordon Swift…

A lovely touch has been carried out by the tiller’s craftsmen too: the initials of Gerard’s father have been carved on the upper face at the rudder end… I thought this was wonderful. Gerard, I’m sure, had a hand in this.

Currently the barge is coated in a muted scheme to reflect a period of mourning for Gordon’s sad loss this year. This is quite traditional. My mother told me that she found that the May Flower’s quarter boards (white – usually – upper section of aft rail) had once been painted a dark blue – this denoted the death of an owner, when, she was never able to ascertain. It may have been Clement Parker of Bradwell, a long time owner.

The Dawn Trust can be found here: http://www.dawn1897.com/

I wish them well…

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