intheboatshed.net

Tilikum at Margate, with Captain John Voss
standing at the bows. As usual click on the
images for much larger photographs

Fishing luggers sailing out of Mevagissey,
Cornwall

Falmouth quay punt

Lowestoft trawlers in a shot that looks more like a
painting than a photo

West Mersea smacks looking very handsome on a near run

I picked up a dusty old book the other day, and found it contained many photos of some well known old boats. Here are just a few. I must say I was particularly pleased to find the Tilikum shot, as it gives a clear impression of what the boat was like when Captain John Voss had her and sailed such enormous distances. Voss’s book The Venturesome Voyages of Captain Voss is a jolly read, as you’d expect from someone who became a professional adventurer - there are some copies at ABE Books. There’s a bit more on Voss’s voyage here, and thanks to the kind folks at the splendid Duckworks forum, I’ve just learned that Venturesome Voyages is also available online.

On other topics, there are various intheboatshed.net posts on luggers to read and others on Falmouth quay punts, and on fishing generally.

Nick Smith is making progress on a 17ft launch Lisa
built to a set of lines from an Admiralty lifeboat of
100 years ago. Moeity was built to the same lines but
is a few inches shorter. Click on the images for much
bigger photos

It’s always good to hear about new projects and to receive photos. On Friday, Nick Smith sent me this message:

Hi Gavin,

As promised a nice photo of Lisa, a 17ft, clnker-built khaya mahogany hull to be framed with green New Forest oak.

The design is as per Moiety (lines taken off an Admiralty lifeboat of about 100 years old), but while Moietyis 16ft 4in, Lisa has been stretched a further 8in. The second photo shows Moiety on her launch day in  1996 on the river Medina, Cowes - see the landmark of J S White’s crane in the background.

Lisa will have a 15hp Yanmar twin fitted, and the owner who lives in Noss Mayo wants to explore the estuary and on good day go around the coast to Cawsand and maybe Plymouth too.

I have an another order to follow - a 16ft motor launch for customer who also lives on the river Yealm.

Will send you some more photos during Lisa’ s fit out.

Regards Nick

Thanks Nick! As usual, clicking on the photos will bring up a bigger and better image in each case.

For more photos click here: intheboatshed posts showing Nick Smith’s work.

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 centurie, and some of the ship wrecksthat 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.