Inshore Craft

The River Thames at Richmond – inclement weather

/ Bill

River Thames at Richmond, 2nd February 2009, 7.30am

We were in London earlier in the week, returning just before the weather turned for the worse in south Devon yesterday evening.

I am posting these images because the conditions were so unusual thereabouts.

The little red yacht was still carrying its mainsail on the boom.

River Thames at Richmond, 2nd February 2009, 7.30 am

River Thames at Richmond, 2nd February 2009, 11.00 am – canal boat in the foreground

Thus is a frustrating day.

I had planned to move Blue Mistress this  morning because Cattewater Harbour Commission want to work on our moorings and we are in the way.

The plan was “weather permitting” – well, it’s not.

Emergency on the Hudson

/ Bill / 1 Comment

The incredible rescue of the passengers from the emergency landing on the Hudson River is here on the Sea Fever blog  – (thanks to Tugster for pointing it out).

It was not just the landing itself that was so noteable, but the large group of people standing on the wings of an aeroplane on a freezing river being carried swiflty along by the current.

And the skill of the skippers and crews of the vessels that took them off.

Watch the 10 minute film – then watch it again.

For love of a boat – in Messinia, Greece

/ Bill

Aghios Nikolaos, Messinia, Greece 2007

If you are reading this on a blog feed, there is a link on the main site to the series of posts on inshore craft.

Inshore fishing boats are changing  from working boat to leisure craft in ever greater numbers.

Looking through this series of posts, (images taken for the love of the boat rather than for any academic purpose), we can glimpse that change.

To pursue this further, I highly recommend the links in the ‘For love of a boat’ category on the main site, starting with Captain George’s video clip. Thank you again to AA for drawing my attention to it.

For the origin of this series – here

For love of a boat – Teignmouth, Devon, UK

/ Bill

Teignmouth to Shaldon Ferry, late afternoon, December 2008 (and a short clip)

I was going to describe the ferry trip, but then I found this:

“. . . I too many and many a time cross’d the river, the sun half an hour high;
I watched the Twelfth-month sea-gulls-I saw them high in the air, floating with motionless
wings,
oscillating their bodies,
I saw how the glistening yellow lit up parts of their bodies, and left the rest in strong
shadow,
I saw the slow-wheeling circles, and the gradual edging toward the south.

I too saw the reflection of the summer sky in the water,
Had my eyes dazzled by the shimmering track of beams,
Look’d at the fine centrifugal spokes of light around the shape of my head in the sun-lit
water,
Look’d on the haze on the hills southward and southwestward,
Look’d on the vapor as it flew in fleeces tinged with violet,
Look’d toward the lower bay to notice the arriving ships,
Saw their approach, saw aboard those that were near me,
Saw the white sails of schooners and sloops  –  saw the ships at anchor,
The sailors at work in the rigging, or out astride the spars,
The round masts, the swinging motion of the hulls, the slender serpentine pennants,
The large and small steamers in motion, the pilots in their pilot-houses,
The white wake left by the passage, the quick tremulous whirl of the wheels,
The flags of all nations, the falling of them at sun-set,
The scallop-edged waves in the twilight, the ladled cups, the frolicsome crests and
glistening,
The stretch afar growing dimmer and dimmer, the gray walls of the granite store-houses by
the docks . . .”

taken from Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, by Walt Whitman

===

Different ferry, same feeling – a deeply memorable description.

Enjoy the Christmas break.

===

For the origin of this series – here

For love of a boat – in Crete

/ Bill / 1 Comment

Aghia Galini, Crete 2005

I had intended posting a single image each week with no text. However, there was a comment to my initial post that took me by surprise and has made me reconsider.

Usually when I wander round a harbour looking at boats, especially in the Mediterranean, I am far too late to see the boats going fishing – they would all have been out earlier in the morning.

Therefore, of the many images I have collected over the years, only a few show boats as they should be seen – with crew – working. This image of a gentleman from Aghia Galini, rolling his sleeves up as he sets off, has long been a favourite. There is a promise of more to come – and a fine boat to accomplish it. Look at the wake.

So much for the romance. It was AA’s comment that concentrated my mind. He has kindly given me permission to quote the following:

“The preservation of some of these boats is an issue that is not met positively in Greece as well (which is where i am coming from originally)

Only for the last year or so there has been a society formed for the preservation of these boats but things are moving very slowly.

The boat you are showing is “lucky”. It has not been swept away because of a political decision to scrap it, like this one:

http://www.greektube.org/content/view/21126/2/

The government (prompted by some EU financial analysis) is trying to decrease “Professional Fishing” by giving money to fishermen to give away their older wooden boats. So, what do you do with a wooden boat once you have “bought” it in this way? Well, you scrap it in the most hideous way.

Some people have found ways to convert the bigger old fishing boats to recreation vessels for small tours and things like these but the majority of these boats end up chip wood.

The way i see it, these boats are products of a tradition that goes way back. Looking at them is like looking at a compact form of knowledge and experience…The boat is like a library but it has the fate of the Library of Alexandria.”

The last paragraph says it all. Watch the video carefully.

Now my simple pleasure has gained an extra dimension – and I add ‘Maritime History’ to the category list for this series of posts. There’s more to come.

After thought

/ Bill / 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking about the “Ceres” and the last entry in my grandfather’s notes on her.

“Foundered midnight Nov 24 1936. Bideford Bay, Crew saved by lifeboat.” This after 125 years of active service.

It’s not the crew I’ve been thinking of. I met them when I was young – they survived.

It’s what happened to the ship that fascinates me. How did she settle?

Did she go down bow first, stern first?

Did she settle upright? (She was carrying approximately 80 tons of slag as cargo).

What happened to the mast, the rigging and the sails?

I guess the captain’s cabin filled pretty quickly. I saw a picture of it once. My grandfather’s office was lined with wood paneling that matched that cabin.

More relevantly, how does she look now – on the floor of Bideford Bay – sixty years or so later?

I thought of her the day I delivered Blue Mistress for her haul out.

While waiting for the hoist, I walked from Turnchapel back to Oreston to fetch the car.

The walk skirts Hooe Lake which is a tidal inlet on the south bank of the River Plym.

At the east end of the Lake, I took these pictures.

 

Hooe Lake 1 Hooe Lake 3 Hooe Lake 2

This is a sight you can see on any of the major rivers, estuaries and inlets of the Westcountry, (the Fal, the Fowey, the Dart, the Tamar, the Plym, the Exe and on). Indeed throughout the UK and Europe too, and, I guess, around the globe – in the mud, beneath tree-lined banks, wooden vessels of a certain age gently decay, slowly fading into their surroundings. Biodegradable, most of the materials they were made of allow that to happen. A slow end to a hard, romantic life.

Well, that was then. What about now.

Wrecks still happen.
MSC Napoli
This one (MSC “Napoli” ) within the last few months – a greater spectacle, with more visual impact, and a great deal more environmental consequences than “Ceres” – or the three wrecks above. This is not a wooden vessel – no biodegration here.

OK, the wreck was a result of heavy weather and a judicious (?) decision on where best to beach her – (as it happens, off a World Heritage coastline).

Looking west towards Sidmouth and Exmouth

You might say, “These things happen. However skilled and careful mankind is, major disasters will occur. It’s how we deal with them that marks us out.”

That may be so, but some “disasters” can be anticipated and maybe we should be ready for them. Try this for example:

In years to come, we will have to deal with another environmental concern. This one will creep up on us: Where are all those yachts and boats that fill our marinas, harbours and rivers going to go after we’ve finished with them? Will they slowly fade into their surroundings? I hope we will enjoy them for many more years. And when we’ve finished, pass them on to new owners for their turn. But will they last 125 years? The boats themselves might not, but the materials they’re made of will. For certain, tree-lined banks of tidal inlets will not be an option.

I am not wishing to make a huge issue about this, nor am I despondent about man’s ability to cope. But I am interested, (and I hope you are too), because it is one small aspect of a much greater concern that is beginning to concentrate our minds and will continue to do so over the next decades – What are we going to do with all these indestructible materials?

I won’t be here to find out the answers, probably neither will my children, but my yet-to-be-born grandchildren will . . . and I care about them and their generation.

 

“Ceres”

/ Bill / 2 Comments

The “Ceres”: A Wonderful Record.

(An extract from an article in the journal ‘Sea Breezes’ – published in 1928)

“The following information concerning the 117 year old Ketch “Ceres” has been kindly given to us by Capt W.W.Petherick, her owner, and he has consented to our using this in writing her history in ‘Sea Breezes’.

There seems to be no doubt that the “Ceres” is the oldest sailing vessel still in active service and that, after 117 years of strenuous work, she is still in perfect condition, and good for many more years, speaks equally well for her builder and owner.

“Ceres” was built in Salcombe in 1811, where she belonged until 1830, and while owned there several times crossed the Bay of Biscay to Spain for cargoes of fruit, nuts etc, and in these days was considered to be the fastest vessel in the three Channels. She was then Smack-rigged and registered 34 tons, burthen 54 tons.

She first came to Bude where she is now owned in 1826 with a cargo of timber from Plymouth and was first owned in Bude by Captain Knowles, who, in 1830, brought in and discharged at Bude 20 cargoes of coal from Wales. In 1842, Captain W.Lewis purchased her and still traded to Bude.

In 1852, she was purchased by Captain Petherick’s father and has been owned by the family ever since. In 1866, Captain W.W.Petherick took over the command of the little vessel and found that she wanted dry docking for repairs. While in dry dock, Capt Petherick was persuaded to have her lengthened, which he did. Fifteen feet was put in her amidships. When completed she was Ketch-rigged, registered 52 tons and carried 85 tons.

Ceres of Bude

Captain Petherick then took her in the General Coasting Trade. She carried many cargoes of barley for the whisky distilleries from Cornwall to the Western Islands of Scotland, Campbeltown, Ardrossan, Troon, Ayr and visited near every port in Ireland from Londonderry in the north to “south about” to Limerick in the west. From there it was generally oats to the English Channel ports, the Channel Islands, London, Maldon, Ipswich etc.

As to the seaworthiness on the latter vessel, I can do no better than quote Capt Petherick’s own words. He says “I have weathered out many storms and hurricanes in her and she was always all there. Everyone who went in her considered her to be one of the best sea boats afloat.”

In 1884, Capt Petherick left sea to take over his father’s business and he was succeeded in command of the “Ceres” by his brother, Capt R.W.Petherick, who is her skipper today, having been in her over 50 years.

On the 7th November 1900, she was caught in Bude Bay in a heavy north west gale. A larger Italian barque, the “Congiziona”, who was miles to windward of the “Ceres” in the evening, came ashore close to Bude in the night. “Ceres” worked out of the Bay and ran for Padstow. She entered the harbour safely but with an ebb tide and an eddy wind, she had to let go both anchors when under the dangerous Steppe Point. She struck the rocks but the crew managed to get ashore at low water. They were able to get onboard again, and that night she was towed to Padstow Harbour where she was repaired.

In 1912, a bold step was taken by her owner who had the vessel fitted with a semi-diesel engine of 30hp, and this has turned out a complete success.

During the war, when Bude Bay was a hotbed of German submarines. most of the coasters were penned in harbour. “Ceres” with the aid of the engine was able to make regular trips to Bristol and South Wales ports and bring back cargoes of grain, flour, groceries etc. Her shallow draft allowed her to keep near the rocks and sands where the submarines could not submerge and she was then able to successfully evade them.

That “Ceres” is standing the test of time is evident from the fact that, in the last five years, she has carried forty cargoes of basic slag and thirty of flour in all weather without damaging a plank.

She made the record number of passages for any ship between Bude, Cardiff, Port Talbot etc. during October 1927 as follows:

Saturday, October 8th, arrived Bude, discharged and sailed for Port Talbot;

Sunday, October 9th, arrived Port Talbot;

Monday, 10th October, loaded slag and sailed for Bude;

Tuesday 11th, arrived Bude, discharged and sailed for Port Talbot;

Wednesday 12th, arrived Port Talbot, loaded and sailed;

Thursday 13th arrived Bude, discharged and sailed for Cardiff;

Friday 14th, arrived Cardiff, loaded and sailed on Saturday;

Sunday October 16th, arrived at Bude from Cardiff in one tide.

Bude harbour is 14 miles south west of Hartland Point. There is water in Bude for three hours on spring tides and those who know the difficulty of a small coaster rounding Hartland Point with its strong race of tides on springs will appreciate the last mentioned passage from Cardiff dock to Bude in one passage.

I am sure all readers of Sea Breezes will join me in wishing “Ceres” a further long lease of active service.”

and it is signed: R.P.Hirst,Liverpool.

 

The above article was taken from my grandfather’s (Captain Alfred Petherick) notebook.  His notes then go on to list passages made by “Ceres” over many years, although it does not cover every year of her active service.

As examples, the entries for 1870 note the following ports visited in order:

Bude, Newport, Plymouth, Penryn, Porthcawl, Truro, Newport, Truro, Newport, Bude, Newport, Waterford, Newport, Malpas, Newport, New Ross, Newport, Bude, Newport, New Ross, Wexford, Newport, Falmouth, Newport, The Yealm, Newport, Bude, Truro, Newport, Bude, Newport, Bude.

And in 1878:

Bude, Wexford, Dublin, Fishguard, Porthgain, Gloucester, Looe, Plymouth, Maldon, Ipswich, Bideford, Port Talbot, Bude, Saundersfoot, Waterford, Saundersfoot, The Yealm, Saundersfoot, Portland, London, Newry, Newport, Bude, Boscastle, Plymouth, Bude, Newport, Bude.

A random selection of cargoes include:

80 tons manure, 85 tons slate, 70 tons salt, 80 tons granite, 82 tons cement, 85 tons limestone, 377 barrels of resin, 84 tons china clay, 80 tons iron ore, 2000 fire bricks, general cargo, scrap iron, 83 tons potash, 40 tons pine wood, 82 tons pipe clay, 82 tons blue clay; 673 barrels oats, 404 quarters barley, 10 tons potatoes.

In 1868, there is a note:

“Ceres” lengthened by fifteen feet from Dec 7th 1868 to July 20th 1869.

At the end of these lists is a record of the skippers who sailed her:

1826: Captain G.Barrett

1842: Captain Lewis

1852: Captain W.W.Petherick

1884: Captain R.W.Petherick

1929: Captain Ben Stainton

1933: Captain A.Petherick

1935: Captain O.G.Jeffery

And the final entry reads:

“Foundered midnight Nov 24 1936. Bideford Bay, Crew saved by lifeboat.”

“Ceres” was 125 years old when she went down.

This is one of a number of posts on the Ketch “Ceres”. They have been presented in a random order as and when I have found, or been given, new material. They represent steps in a personal quest to find out more about one branch of my family.

If you are interested in maritime history or would like to read more, please use the Search facility at the top right hand side of this page (‘Ceres’). If this is not available on your current screen, then click on ‘Bill’s Boat Blog’ – (or the title of this entry, then ‘Bill’s Boat Blog’), to be taken to the correct page.