“Ceres”

15/04/200722/06/2007 / 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.

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.

The Barque “Annie Braginton”

02/04/200708/11/2015 / Bill / 1 Comment

In May 1865, having signed off from the barquentine ‘Forest Prince’ in Liverpool, my great grandfather, W.W.Petherick, returned to Newport, Monmouthshire. Ready to go to sea again, he signed on the barque “Annie Breganton” for a voyage to Shanghai, Montreal and London, leaving on 1^st June.

This is his story, in his own words:

A few particulars of a Voyage from Newport, Mon. to Shanghai, thence to Montreal and back to London, by W.W.Petherick.

In 1865, I shipped as A.B. at Newport, Mon. in the Scotch Barque “Annie Bragenton” of Alloa, Firth of Forth, Capt. Alexander McDougall, Master of a crew of 12 all told, loaded with about 860 tons (of) coals for the English Government at Shanghai. I had the magnificent wage of £2.15.0 per month, signed for a voyage of three years if we remained abroad so long, or be paid off at the first English port we arrived at.

We towed away from Newport on June lst 1865 at 5 a.m. I might say here our owner was a great economist. He showed it in every trait. He went out of Newport with us and when just got passed the Flat Holmes, the tug came alongside and the owner and pilot left us instead of towing us to Lundy Island some fifty miles farther as was usually done on such voyages.

The Captain, over 70 years of age, had not been in the Bristol Channel before. The wind was up from the West against us, light. We set all sail and soon saw it was a poverty stricken outfit, but was in hopes it was the summer suit and that there was better in the sail locker, but found to our regret later there was not much improvement.

We got down off the Huntstone at low water, when the Captain should have anchored as the wind was so light, but he allowed her to drive near all the strong spring tide and about half an hour before high water he sighted a buoy which I knew was the buoy at the west end of the Culver Sands. He got rather excited and called to the mate to range the chain and let go the anchor. We ranged the chain, when I told the mate I was sorry it meant a lot of work for us and we should immediately have to heave it up again as the tide would soon turn, that there was no danger of the Culver Sands as we was 2 or 3 miles to the North of them. He went and told the Captain, when I was called aft and explained to the Captain that I had served 4 years at sea mostly in the Bristol Channel. When I was appointed pilot.

We worked down the north shore to the Nash when the wind went a little more to the north, and the next morning we was going between Lundy Island and Hartland Point. We had a fine time down passed the Scilly Islands.

The Captain was very pleased with my pilotage and thanked me very much. He hoped to repay me before we parted, which he did by lending me books and instruments and learning me navigation, that, within a fortnight of terminating the voyage, I went in at Plymouth and passed my first examination!

A few days after passing Scilly, it came on to blow fresh from the west. Out main topgallant sail soon went to tatters and the boom jib soon followed suit. It was then we soon found out what we had got in the sail locker. It was a sorry sight. There was 2 A.B.s then chosen as sail makers. I was one of them which I did not regret. We did very little else all the passage other than our ordinary duties of steering, bending and sending down and up sails when blowing away in bad weather etc.etc.

Then we found more economy in the quality of our food. Beef, pork, bread etc. etc. we thought was about the cheapest and worst that he could get. After three days at sea, we had not a potato nor any green vegetables for the whole of the passage, neither a taste of butter etc. etc.

We had a nice north wind that ran us through the Bay of Biscay and onwards. The next land we sighted was the Canary Islands, then we took the N.E.Trade Winds and crossed the Equator in Long. 24 W. We then took the S.E.Trade Winds and went away on a wind.

The next land we sighted was the islands or rocks of Trinidade off Pernambuco, South America. We then went away on the starboard tack, edging down for the Roaring Forties which we soon found. We had some very strong gales, with the usual amount of blowing sails to ribbons and unbending and bending fresh of which we had great experience, but the little ship was a great sea boat and ran well before before a gale.

The next land sighted was the Island of St Paul in the South Indian Ocean when we hauled up passed Australia about 70 miles off.

The next land sighted was the Island of Timor in the Indian Group when we drifted within shouting distance of a full rigged ship, the first we had spoken to since leaving England.We asked: “What ship? From where? Where bound? and How many days out?” “Ship ‘Mary’ from Cardiff bound to Shanghai, 119 days out.” We told him we was the Barque ‘Annie Bragenton’ from Newport for Shanghai, 130 days out.

We got up through the Indian Islands and crossed the Equator in 130 East and soon got in the China Sea, then our troubles commenced.

Heavy N.E. monsoons and were continually having near every sail blown away. We was for a day or two with nothing but our foretopmast staysail and 4 or 5 new tarpaulins lashed in the mizzen rigging and back stays. Our port bulwarks was near all gone from the fore to the main mast. Our crew were near all laid up with the scurvy, some very ill, and our ship, through the great heat when in the Indian Ocean, our top sides began to leak.

We had large iron fly wheel pumps that, when all the hands were there, we could strike them and throw a great volume of water, but now to be reduced to 4, and they not very strong. It was very bad. But it was, as the old nautical adage “pump or sink”, so we managed to keep her afloat.

Thankful when we sighted a Shanghai pilot boat, and when he came on board, he was rather amazed to see what straits we had got to. Only 4 hands on deck for over a fortnight. I took him to the cabin where the Captain was in bed. He asked if he should send his boat on shore and (run?) for a steam tug, which he did. He also asked if the Captain would like a few Irish potatoes. “Lend all you can spare.” He said he had only two or three bucketfuls, as they were 30/- per cwt. The Captain said he did not give a damn if they were £30. He sent us three buckets full. The mate gave us one which we ate raw like hungry ravenous pigs.

The next morning a tug came and soon got us up the river to Shanghai on December 12th after being 195 days at sea.

Annie Bragenton from Shanghai to Montreal to London.

Sailed from Shanghai on January 31st, 1866 bound to Montreal with a cargo of tea.

We had a beautiful run down the China Sea. Soon passed Hong Kong and Singapore and through the Bangka Straits where we had to anchor one night as very dark and the passage narrow. Then through the Straits of Sunda.

We had a bum boat come off from Sumatra when we purchased some monkeys, fancy Java sparrows, fowl, sugar, bananas, coconuts, pineapples, oranges etc. etc..

When we went out between Java and Sumatra and across the Indian Ocean and South Pacific for the Cape of Good Hope. We had one heavy breeze off the Cape. Had to heave to under a close reefed maintopsail, but at daylight in the morning when we set everything again, passed close to Cape Town. Could see the ships inside the breakwater.

Then steered for St Helena where we hove to. A boat came off. We made some purchases, sent some letters ashore and off again for Newfoundland.

The next land we made was Cape Ray, Newfoundland. Up to that time we had had a beautiful passage, only taking our main topgallant sail in once the whole passage, but we had a little puff in the Gulf of St Lawrence off Anticosti Island and blew away some more sails. We had no more canvas nor twine to repair them. We had to put stoppers on the leach ropes of the fore topsail, herring bone the cloths with marlin spikes and spun yarn etc, but we soon got a steam tug and towed to Montreal, arriving there on June 1st, 120 days out from Shanghai. Discharged our tea and loaded a cargo of maize and flour for London.

While at Montreal, the Captain kindly gave me leave to go to Toronto to see some relations, 300 miles distant. I remained with them 3 weeks visiting about, and had a good time.

We sailed from Montreal again in the first week of July and had a fine passage to London with one exception. One afternoon on the Banks, the weather came on very bad and that night it blew half a gale, rained heavy and thick fog. When daylight appeared, the weather cleared away and the sun came out and there was nine large ice bergs, and we cutting through one corner of them, 2 on our port side and 7 on our starboard. But fortunately escaped striking them and soon left them behind.

We then had light winds to London, arriving there in the middle of August, 35 days out, when that finished our voyage. The whole crew that sailed from Newport returned with one exception. One A.B. got in trouble in Shanghai and was left behind. Another one shipped.

W.W.Petherick

This is one of a number of posts on the Ketch “Ceres” – in this case her owner’s early years. 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.

The Brigantine “Forest Prince”

01/04/200722/06/2007 / Bill / 2 Comments

Thinking about the past being inhabited by the same people as us. Times and technology were different, but our reactions to them would have been similar.

Below is a brief account of a voyage made in 1865 by one of my great-grandfathers, W.W.Petherick.

As far as I can tell, these are his own words. In fact, I have taken it from his son’s notebook. I assume he copied it direct from the original. His text has very few punctuation marks and no paragraphs. Because that makes dense reading on a screen, I have added both. This will annoy the history purists, but, hey, it’s a good short story, hiding a lot between the lines – enjoy it.

Brigantine “Forest Prince” of Newport, Monmouthshire.

I shipped on the Brigantine “Forest Prince” of Newport, Mon. as Able Seaman at £2.17.6 per month, in the beginning of March 1868 on a voyage from Newport to Lisbon with a cargo of 325 tons of Coals, then Ballast for Villa Real in Spain near Gibraltar, then take a cargo of Copper Ore to Liverpool.

We sailed from Newport on March 7th with an easterly gale and very heavy snow. We ran down to Morte under a close reefed topsail and foresail. When passing that, we set the double reefed mainsail and, after passing Hartland Point about 10 pm the same night, the wind being just abeam, blowing heavy, we found what we was up against.

She was a new vessel, the first voyage, the owners having six vessels just the same size all running against each other, trying which should make the quickest and most passages. Our vessel appeared to be over-masted and over-sparred, top heavy. She got hove down on her broad side with the lee bulwarks all under, and full of water on deck from end to end. She looked very ugly. We got her away before it and took the foresail off.

The next morning it moderated a bit when we soon got and entered the Bay of Biscay, when the wind shifted around to the South West and blew very heavy and we had to heave to. We found her a miserable sea boat. She would not come up and take the seas end on, but merely fall off and allow the seas to roll over her in the trough of the sea. We smashed away a good deal of the lee bulwarks to try and relieve her. After two or three days the wind veered to the North West, still blowing very heavy, when we had to get her on the other tack and smash away more bulwarks.

After about a week the wind moderated, came from the East and we eventually got to Lisbon, a beautiful harbour and beautiful town, with plenty of fruit. And while there I went to a bull fight one Sunday afternoon, but never wish to go to another. After discharging we took in ballast and proceeded to Villa Real where we duly arrived having had a fine passage.

We then loaded a cargo of Copper Ore and sailed, having a fine passage as far as the Scilly Islands when the wind came from the North East and blew very heavy all the way to Liverpool, where we arrived in the middle of May, when we all left but the Captain, not wishing to go another voyage in such a wet Packet as that. WWP.

This is one of a number of posts on the Ketch “Ceres” – in this case her onwer’s early years. 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.

Inshore Craft 3 – the hobble boat

28/03/200722/06/2007 / Bill / 1 Comment

Following my post on the Bude Hobble Boat (above, in later years, waiting to guide the Ceres which is entering Bude under her own steam), I thought it would be useful for those who like more detail to see how much work they had to do.

As a demonstration of the numbers of Vessels involved, the following is a list of the Shipping movements for the month of May 1838, taken at random from my Great Grandfather’s notes. This date is before the meetings referred to in the previous post.

May 1 Dasher Hatherly 11/-

” ” Kitty Pickard 8/9

” 3 Rising Sun Lewis 10/6

” 6 Lord Porchester Davey 11/9

” 7 Dasher Hatherly 11/-

” ” Kitty Pickard 8/9

” 9 Rebecca Morton 18/-

” ” Friends Whitefield 8/9

” ” Sisters Cook 12/9

” ” Ceres Greenaway 15/-

” 10 Lion Kivell 18/-

” ” Sir R.Vivyan Mill 11/-

” 11 Maria Metherall 13/-

” 12 Betsy Penzance 10/9

” ” Speedwell Pengelly 16/6

” ” Sisters Cook 12/9

” 13 Margaret Fish 6/9

” 14 Friends Whitefield 8/9

” ” Kitty Pickard 8/9

” ” Dasher Hatherly 12/6

” ” Sprightly Marshall 14/3

” 16 Eliza from Newquay 14/3

” 18 Sir R.Vivyan Mill 10/6

” ” Sisters Cook 12/9

” 19 Rising Sun Lewis 11/-

” ” Victoria Foun(?) 15/0

” 21 Mary from Plymouth £1/0/0

” 25 Friends Whitefield 8/9

” ” Sisters Cook 13/-

” 26 Sir R.Vivyan Mill 11/-

” ” Kitty Pickard 8/9

” ” Dasher Hatherly 12/6

” ” Lord Porchester Davey 11/9

” ” Rebecca Morton 18/-

” 28 Victoria Foun(?) 15/-

You can see that the Dasher lived up to her name and entered (and left Bude) twice during the month. It would be interesting know where she went and what she brought back with her.

There were 18 vessels altogether. The Ceres I have talked about elsewhere and I will be posting more about her shortly. The Hobble fees are an indication of the relative sizes of the ships, the Mary from Plymouth being the largest vessel to enter the canal that month.

The Hobble Boat worked all year round. Between 24th December and 29th December 1836, they handled no less than eight vessels.

And, of course, the coming of the railway brought an end to this means of trading along the coast, and the end to a way of life.

This is one of a number of posts on the Ketch “Ceres” – in this case regarding pilotage. 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.

Inshore Craft 2 – the hobble boat

23/03/200722/06/2007 / Bill / 3 Comments

The Bude Hobble Boat.

The picture shows a beamy rowing boat moored in Bude sea lock. It has three thwarts (rowing seats) and a stern seat. The gunwales (sides) are raised to cope with big seas and, instead of rowlocks, the oars fit into these gunwales. Of the three thwarts, the forward and aft ones have places for oars on the port side, the middle thwart has a place on the starboard side and there is one on the starboard side just forward of the stern seat. There is also a position in the stern for a steering oar, (being used in the picture below). There are four oars in the boat. The bows have some form of strengthening, presumably for towing and/or pushing.

The following is taken from my grandfather’s notes and refers to meetings held in 1839 regarding the Bude Hobble Boat, which supplied a pilot and, sometimes tow, to sailing vessels entering Bude in the days before engines. The notes seak for themselves. The accompanying photographs were taken much later, after engines had been installed. Entering Bude Haven under power was a totally different procedure to entering under sail.

At a meeting of the proprietors of the Bude Pilot Boat held at the Bude Inn on the 13th January 1839:

1st: George Hambly’s appointment as master of the Boat, which was made some time since, is this day confirmed.

2ndly: The Master is fully empowered to appoint his own Crew (subject only to the approbations of the Owners of the Boat) and he is hereby authorized to discharge any man who neglects his duty.

3rdly: It is imperative upon the Master to enforce the fines for non-attendance, neglect of orders or drunkenness, and he is requested to keep an account of the dates and the names of parties and to deliver the same to the Owners of the Boat with the half yearly accounts. The amount of the fine to be one shilling and sixpence.

4thly: Each man of the Crew is in turn to keep a good and sufficient look out at tide time, the arrangements to be under the direction of the Master.

The subject of the amount of Pilotage and the necessity of charging recall* Hobbles in particular cases having been discussed, it is resolved that to give the Master sufficient time for preparing a list of the ships with old and new admeasurements of each, that this meeting be adjourned to Monday the 7th instant.

Signed: John Hockin, J.S.James, Davey (pps J.T.Davey)

At the Adjourned Meeting held at the Bude Inn on Monday Jany 7th (sic) 1839:

Resolved that the Pilotage on vessels entering Bude be on the following scale according to the New Register.

Tonnage below 20 tons 5 3/4 (pence) per ton

ditto 25 tons ` 5 1/2 (pence) per ton

ditto 30 tons 5 1/4 (pence) per ton

ditto 35 tons 5 per (pence) per ton

ditto 40 tons 4 3/4 (pence) per ton

ditto 45 tons (and all above) 4 1/2 (pence) per ton

The foregoing scale is for the Pilotage In and Out and to be paid before the Vessel enters the Sea Locks on her departure.

In case a Vessel should not get into the Lock (on) the tide she enters the Harbour, the Hovellers are bound to attend two extra tides if necessary but if further attendance still should be required, the Vessel will be subject to a recall* Hobble of One Shilling and Sixpence.

Any Vessel going out of the Locks and not putting to sea the same tide to be the subject of a recall* Hobble of 1/6 for every tide the Hobblers may be required before she leaves the Port.

Signed: John Hockin, Wm Davey, J.S.James, Daniel Lane

* the handwriting makes this word difficult to decipher, and I am not convinced it is the correct one but I believe it expresses the correct meaning.

For the background to the Inshore Craft series click here.

Inshore Craft 1

19/02/200720/02/2007 / Bill / 5 Comments

“We treat the past as a foreign country, when, in reality, it was occupied by the same people as us.”

I’ve forgotten who said that but I was reminded of it when I saw that Edgar March’s “Inshore Craft of Britain: In the Days of Sail and Oar” has just been republished.

It was first published in 1970, and covers small working boats of the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. Reading it, I was fascinated that an island as small Britain should have developed so many different shaped boats to perform more or less the same thing. Each locality had grown a different tradition. These working boats were, in effect, visual versions of regional accents. Thirty five years later, I am still fascinated.

Three reasons for liking this book:

1. For the boats themselves – as complex objects, with lines and detail, some more elegant than others, but all with a functional beauty that fitted their surroundings.

2. They were true examples of the the concept of ‘form following function’, made more substantial in that they were the livelihood of their owners and crew. Here were small boats constructed in local yards round the coastline of a small island. They varied in shape, in design and in size, not just from region to region but often from harbour to harbour, the only limitation being in the wood and materials used in their construction.

On the face of it, looking back from our mass-produced, communication-efficient world, it can be difficult to understand why this Falmouth Workboat, photographed off Polruan in Cornwall

should differ so much from this Coble, photographed at Seahouses in Northumberland.

After all, they were built for more or less the same purpose.

In fact, the answer isn’t so difficult. Take one island, facing north, south, east and west; take tides, currents, prevailing winds; take a long, varied coastline, some stretches steep and rugged, some shallow with sand and mud, some exposed to the weather, some with large safe deep harbours, some with just a rock or two for shelter. Add a function – fishing, trade, piloting, transport.

Even today, these factors would make a difference to shape and form, but think what centuries of experience of local conditions would do. Think about the materials that would be available in one part of the country that weren’t in another. Think about the traditions that would have grown up around a particular coastline. And to really understand what it was like, you need to take one other factor into account:

3. The owners and crew who sailed in them. They represented the way of life of countless small communities. This was a world where experience counted, where fathers passed their skills onto their sons and, less so in those days, their daughters. Here were local communities, not necessarily isolated from one another but certainly separated, who developed their own craft specifically for the coastal conditions in their area.

No different from us today – they faced the problems of the time and had to solve them. They laughed like us, they cried like us, they succeeded, they failed, they loved, they hated – just like us. They knew what hard work meant. Some did it well, some badly, a few brilliantly. Some were successful financially and went on to do more, some were less so. But their knowledge, skills and attitudes came from doing, from experiencing first-hand. It took longer to gain them, but the best results lasted as long, if not longer, than ours will today. Those hard-won abilities created individuals in a world that needed individuals.

There is one major difference between are ancestors and us today. We have access to more knowledge and more skills, and at a far younger age, than those who came before us could possibly imagine in their wildest dreams – (think Google, endless courses, books, journals and DVDs). But, despite this, our basic ability to absorb and use our new-found knowledge has not grown in line with our sources. In the end, we learn best by doing too – and it still takes time. All the rest of the stuff that comes our way is ‘on approval’ – and we are becoming increasingly swamped by it, struggling to be individuals in a sea of often irrelevant information.

So what’s your point, Bill?

I don’t have a romantic view of the past but I do have a respect for those who learn from experience – and I don’t care whether they were born in 2007 or 1007. (At this point, it would be easy to bang on about our not learning the lessons of the past, but that’s for others to do).

What I would like to do is to stay with boats and to use the concepts above – a) boats themselves, b) the fact of their form following their function, and c) the crews who sail in them, and, as I travel around the coasts not just of the UK but further afield, record, if I can, examples of craft that are being used today that represent this long line of experience. No doubt, some will exhibit a high quality of craftsmanship, some less so. But it isn’t the quality I want to pick out here. What interests me are the solutions to maritime problems that work in particular circumstances. Like this small fishing boat moored in Trikeri on the Pelion Peninsular, on the Aegean shores of Greece.

I do not pretend to be an expert. Inevitably, my efforts will be random observations and certainly not comprehensive. But, this is not an academic study, it is a record of small pleasures, pleasures I believe I share with many other people.

It is also a record of concern, a concern I also share with many others. Times are changing so fast that much hard-won, long-term experience is being sacrificed in the name of easily-found, short-term expediency. We badly need to hang on to some of that experience.

So, my entries to this blog over the next year or so will include an ‘Inshore Craft’ series of images. I hope they will be of interest to you. Please feel free to add your own if you wish.

12 reasons to spend money on the boat

21/01/2007 / Bill / 1 Comment

I woke up this morning with a wild debate raging between my ears.

I am in a position that I guess most boat owners find themselves at some stage.
Can I justify spending a substantial amount of money on my boat, when the one certainty is that there will be little, (probably no), financial return on the investment?

The argument is running like this:

As this is a leisure activity, should I be looking beyond a gain in financial capital.
Surely, there are gains in human capital and social capital that are more relevant and definitely worth seeking.

So my current reasons for spending the money are sketched out below in personal and social terms :

Twelve reasons to spend money on Blue Mistress:

To be able to continue to enjoy sailing for the sake of it.
To restore and give longer life to an attractive, sea-kindly vessel that can be passed on to a younger owner when I can no longer sail.
This boat has a design, shape and size that make it ideal for single-handed sailing, and, given that we won’t be living aboard, for the two of us to spend time together comfortably.
To have a specific activity that we can enjoy together as a complete family – the not-so-young children can be involved too. On the occasions we are together, we can learn together.
To be able to take friends out for a day/morning/afternoon – to enjoy sailing in good company.
To be able to explore the coastline and harbours of Devon and Cornwall.
To open up the possibility of going further afield – around the UK coastline, across to France, or to Ireland.
For personal health – fresh air, exercise, mental stimulation outside a daily career.
To have an activity that will take me out of that career and onto the next stage, whatever that may hold. Since I bought Blue Mistress, I am meeting interesting, active, concerned people in situations that would never have happened if I had maintained the status quo.
The boat and the maritime environment give me a focus for my writing and photography. For me this is the more outward-looking contribution.
In environmental terms, from a maritime perspective, I can witness first hand the effects of global warming.
Sailing, harnessing energy from the wind and the sea, is essentially a green activity, and worth pursuing because of this. As with most similar activities, it is not quite as simple as it first appears – some aspects are more ‘green’ than others and, no doubt, these will be the source of debate over the next decade. How can we learn about them without being involved in them?

The trick seems to be in avoiding sending good money after bad money.
If I get it right, although I will have invested more initially, I will have lifted the value of my boat just a little in financial terms, but a lot in human and social terms, ensuring longer-term enjoyment and making possible the outcomes I am looking for.
If I get it wrong, I will have spent albeit less money, but on short-term improvements that are likely to beget more short-term improvements that, in the long-term will cost me a lot more both financially and in personal angst, and will lead to me and my boat parting company sooner rather than later.

You can see which way the argument is going, can’t you.

The entrance to Bude Haven

14/01/200722/06/2007 / Bill / 2 Comments

This the Barrel Rock at the entrance to Bude Haven, North Cornwall at 1445 this afternoon.

High water was 1334, the wind is south west, force 6-7.

This coast stretches North-South. Due west is Newfoundland, Canada.

This is not a coast for a small boat on a day like today, but there was a time when the choices were different.

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.

New phase in the Blue Mistress story

12/01/2007 / Bill / 2 Comments

Today marked a new phase in the Blue Mistress story.

It was time to decide on exactly what the spring refit will involve – jobs, time, costs.

Richard from the boatyard came and helped move us forward – very diplomatically I thought, although he needn’t have been. We agree where we are going with the boat, we just needed to agree the process of getting there.

Basically, we have to ensure the deck is watertight before we can do anything below. So this will be the focus for 2007.

It will involve removing all the deck fittings, including some recent ones, reseating them, replacing and making watertight the lazarette hatch covers, replacing the window ports, repairing grp, stripping and recoating the deck. The mast will be removed and the rigging checked.

She is booked to come out of the water and placed under cover in March, and will need to be dried out (with dehumidifiers) first.

That’s all I’m going to say on the subject for while. It’s grit your teeth and cross your fingers time.

Designing a new Companionway

08/12/2006 / Bill / 2 Comments

The reason I started this blog was to try and get some input from other Folksong owners on the layout of the companionway/engine box area in their boats.

From the beginning, there have been a number of jobs I need to do, the question has always been “where do I start?”

Now, having spent three months enjoying Blue Mistress – it’s a great sail, I have a simple plan.

The trick will be to turn the plan into reality.

Outline Plan for new Companionway:

1. An inboard engine (Yanmar GM10) was fitted several years ago. It’s below what was the companionway. An engine box was designed later, with a battery box forward of it. Neither the engine box nor the battery box is robust enough to be used as companionway steps into the saloon – especially with a sea running. Entry is currently in the form of a backward shuffle with the left foot hopefully contacting the edge of the navigation area.

2. The navigation area itself needs to be brought up to standard to take a new fuse box, DSC/VHF, chart potter etc.

3. There is no way of laying out a chart unless the saloon table is in place, which is impossible in a sea.

Stage One:

To make new robust engine and battery boxes that will be secure and strong enough to bear the weight of a heavy man in a heavy sea.

The structure has to be secure but it must also allow access to the engine (fuel line, water line, dip-stick – and a view of the stern gland), and batteries, and be as sound-proof as practical.

Also, the top step should be able to act as a seat for someone to sit with his/her head outside the hatch, and the bottom step to be a seat at the aft end on the saloon, (preferably on the same level as the saloon benches) – I have checked it since I wrote this and it will actually have to be slightly lower than this because headroom is restricted by a sill.

Stage Two

At the same time the navigation/electronics area needs some straightforward joinery – book shelf, fascia for fuse box, VHF and so on.

This area is on the starboard side, next to the bottom step/seat of the companionway. On the port side is the stove.

Stage Three

The bottom step/seat should make it feasible to have a removable chart table that will fit transversely across the saloon here – so that I can keep a chart out while we are sailing and access it easily. I have a design in mind to make it secure but will need to look at materials available.

Beyond Steeple Point

"Not all who wander are lost"

nautical links

“Ceres”

The Barque “Annie Braginton”

The Brigantine “Forest Prince”

Inshore Craft 3 – the hobble boat

Inshore Craft 2 – the hobble boat

Inshore Craft 1

12 reasons to spend money on the boat

The entrance to Bude Haven

New phase in the Blue Mistress story

Designing a new Companionway