History Thames sailing barge

thames sailing barges, typical red-brown sails, in east swin

the flat-bottomed hull made these craft extremely versatile , economical. float in little 3 feet (1 m) of water , dry out in tidal waters without heeling over. allowed them visit narrow tributaries , creeks of thames load farm cargoes, or dry out on sand banks , mudflats load materials building , brickmaking (it no coincidence use peaked while london expanding rapidly). main mast lowered clear bridges. furthermore, unlike sailing craft, these barges sail unballasted — major saving in labour , time. predominant rig spritsail, though there were sloop rigged gaff , overhanging boom, , ketch rigged. mulies rigged spritsail on main , gaff rigged on mizzen.

1863, 1864 , 1865 saw first thames barge races. these continued unbroken until 1938. aim of founder william henry dodd, golden dustman , raise status of bargemen, , improve performance of barges. there 2 classes, 1 stumpies (under 80 tons) , 1 heavier (under 100 tons) topsail barges. these fiercely competitive - , new barges being built, using improved techniques learnt, win next year s race. medway races started in 1880.

their heyday came @ turn of 20th century when on 2000 on registry. century saw steady decline in numbers. last thames barge trade entirely under sail everard-built cambria in 1970, owned captain a. w. (bob) roberts. roberts sailed cambria more twenty years, , gained reputation hard sailing , fast passages in other everard barges.

cambria s last mate dick durham leigh-on-sea, essex, whom bob carried last freight under sail alone: 100 tons of cattle cake tilbury docks ipswich in october 1970. dick wrote bob roberts s biography: last sailorman.

following second world war, coastal barge trade diminished nation became more mechanised. cargoes went road instead of sea, squeezing purses of barge owners, until of once-handsome barges given motors , relegated short, lightering passages within thames estuary.