intheboatshed.net

St Agnes lighthouse, Scilly Isles - see
the news about Troze below

The National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s small boats register has gone online - and we’re all invited to let its organisers know of any craft that should be included. I should think there are hundreds!

Here’s the NMMC’s release on this important project:

‘Over the past few years, National Maritime Museum Cornwall has been working on a database of boats which deserve heritage protection. With the help of other museums, owners and charitable trusts, the Museum has been assembling a list of over 1200 boats.

‘Now part of this database known as the National Small Boat Register including boats under 40ft in length, is available on the web and everyone is invited to help make it the definitive list for the UK.

‘The list is modelled on the database used for ships – the National Register of Historic Vessels – but uses a new ‘history pod’ to identify key dates in a craft’s history.

‘Jonathan Griffin, director of the Maritime Museum says: “There is still much work to do. We need to obtain owners’ permission to publicise details of some of the boats we already hold on the database. We’d welcome hearing from everyone about other boats which they feel should be included in the Register.”

‘Looking ahead, the Museum is keen to develop a discussion forum to make the whole register inclusive and a place where enthusiasts can exchange information about the boats.

‘Have a look at the research area of the Museum’s website at www.nmmc.co.uk and see if your boat or a boat you know of should be registered.’

Also new from the NMMC has also launched an interesting-looking quarterly online journal called Troze. The first issue concerns wrecking on the Isles of Scilly.

Museum’s staff sayTroze will welcome article submissions from enthusiastic researchers, writers or people who are knowledgeable or passionate about their topics.

If you’re wondering, as I was, the title of the journal is taken from the Cornish word for the sound made by water about the bows of a boat in motion.

From above - HMS London, the Letchworth, and Wessex
Archaeology divers working on the wrecks - photos by
Brendan Hughes. As usual, click on the photos for much
more satisfying images!

This summer the Port of London Authority and Wessex Archaeology is clearing a collection of shipwrecks from the Thames Estuary as part of a continuing programme to ensure that the river channel remains open to the world’s largest ships.

TV company Touch Productions has been on hand to capture the events as they happen, and the first of two Thames shipwrecks: a race against time programmes was shown on BBC on the 26th August - it was just a few days ago, but for those who missed it I thought it would be good to cover some of the material here at intheboatshed.net.

The first programme focused on how mastery over the Thames has been defended or fought over the centuries, and some of the ship wrecks that these struggles have left behind.

HMS London

HMS London sank in 1665, with the loss of 300 lives. As a ship of the Protectorate, the London stands at a critical point in maritime history, in the midst of technological change and at a time when Britain began to rule the waves for the first time.

In fact, the London is so important that the Port of London Authority is moving the shipping channel to avoid disturbing her. She was part of the fleet that brought down the Protectorate and helped restore Charles II to the throne, and she also played a seminal role in the wars against the Dutch.

HMS London was also a new departure in shipbuilding because she was among the first ships to have proper plans drawn up to enable shipbuilders to build stable ships - many of earlier ships including the Mary Rose capsized because they were unstable.

HMS Aisha and Letchworth

The Aisha was a civilian boat requisitioned by the navy during World War II, and was crewed by Home Guard-style civilians.

The Thames was a crucial gateway for the German attackers and the brave crew of the Aisha were victims of the struggle to keep it secure for cargo convoys, which included over 100,000 craft in more than 3000 convoys.

The Letchworth was one of the ships that boats like the Aisha were there to protect. It ran coal into London, a vital cargo at a vital time.

The pottery wreck

The pottery wreck is a humble ship that nevertheless connected London with the rest of the country taking goods to other parts of Britain, and returning with supplies for London. In the programme she represents an interesting detective challenge, for both her name and date of sinking are unknown.

IBTC class of 2008

The International Boatbuilding Training College at Lowestoft in Suffolk is having an open day on Saturday the 11th October. It’s the only weekend day in the year that it’s open to visitors - so grasp the opportunity and get along if you can. It sounds very much like a grand day out to me…

Whether or not you can make it, you might be interested in these photos kindly supplied by Gill at the college - as usual, click on the image and a larger photo should pop up.