This really is a remarkable tale from Fowey boatbuilder Marcus Lewis. There’s more detail on his Facebook page.
Series of tweets…1
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 7, 2021
Hopefully, in the next week or so, will see the completion of a project that started over 30 years ago. Richard Kitson, Sue Rodwell and me went to the Outer Hebrides to retrieve the damaged hull of a Troy Class Yacht. pic.twitter.com/vsqh0USjXF
Series of tweets…2
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 7, 2021
Troy Class Yacht number 12, named Barbara, was ordered from A.H. Watty, Fowey, January 1947.
Arthur Bate, from Polruan, ordered her on the day his daughter, Barbara, was born, ordering a yacht rather than putting a deposit on a house for his family! pic.twitter.com/Dc5nGvaex2
Series of Tweets….3
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 8, 2021
This is Arthurs story, courtesy of Bob Bate pic.twitter.com/t4hvBQosjN
Series of tweets……4
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 9, 2021
Arthur Bate raced T12 Barbara for the next few years, improving his results dramatically, here is more of his story. Sadly, he moved away from Polruan in 1953, selling the boat to Mrs Gilchrist. pic.twitter.com/7yAWRMuioQ
Series of tweets….5
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 9, 2021
Arthur Bate had been very successful in Barbara in 1951, '52, and '53. here are some family photos pic.twitter.com/XMD782QiRA
No neither am I! BTW, my greatest childhood sailing memory was getting T15 to second during one regatta race before finishing in fourth place. Who was it that was guiding my hand on the tiller all the way? The one and only Arthur Bate ?
— Philip Selbie ?? Resist Brexit's effects! ?? (@philipselbie) May 9, 2021
Series of tweets…..6
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 9, 2021
Mrs Gilchrist owned Barbara, T12 for four years, selling her to Miss N Bradbury in 1957.
When Miss Bradbury put Barbara up for sale in 1958, she was bought by Commander Campbell and taken to Padstow, on the River Camel. pic.twitter.com/4kQS9UnQrp
Series of tweets…7
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 10, 2021
T12 Barbara went to Padstow in the late 1950's, and that was that, not looked for or thought about,
It was at the re-naming of Janet in 1984, (pic) that Radio Cornwall (Tamsin) interviewed Richard, and appealed for info on any of the other Troys pic.twitter.com/RM7Xjjx1uN
Series of posts……8a
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 11, 2021
Following the Radio appeal in 1984, we found out that in the 60's Barbara was badly damaged. While she was being repaired, the Owner died, and his nephew took her on. It was his intention to set up an 'Outward bound' training centre in the Outer Hebrides. pic.twitter.com/L0sC47yn1M
Series of posts…9a
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 11, 2021
SPOILER ALERT..Barbara will be going in the water this Thursday around 5.30 at Caffa Mill, please consider the current restrictions.
Finding out Barbara was in the Outer Hebrides was a surprise, we wrote to him to see if he still had her. He did, sort of. pic.twitter.com/714HBNHhCL
Series of posts…9b
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 11, 2021
Barbara had sunk in a gale some 15 years previously, dragged up onto the beach, beyond his repair.
He did offer her to us, but we didn't need or want another Troy. So we got in touch with Arthur Bate, the original owner, who took on the rescue mission. pic.twitter.com/ZP0JSVnzMt
Series of posts……8b
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 11, 2021
So he sailed T12 around Lands End, along the South coast, up the East coast, had her shipped overland across Scotland, then sailed her out to the Hebrides. pic.twitter.com/s1sMV1lHt9
Series of posts…10
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 11, 2021
Sadly after 5 or 6 years of trying, Arthur Bate gave up trying to rescue Barbara. So I asked my partner, Sue, if she fancied a trip to the Outer Hebrides. We went and discovered that time hadn't been kind to Barbara, and had deteriorated badly . pic.twitter.com/zu3rL6ySdt
Series of posts …11a
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 12, 2021
To rescue Barbara would involve a few challenges.
She had to be floated around the island to the causeway, and pulled out of the water.
She was in no state to float
She wasn't in a fit state to sit on a trailer for a 700 mile journey. etc. etc. etc
Series of posts ..11b
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 12, 2021
The more you thought about it, the worse it got !
However, after talking to people around Fowey, Major Tony Parkyn suggested Army Landing craft from Marchwood, could pick her up and bring her back in the Autumn, we would have to get her 10 miles to a jetty.
Series of posts..12a
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 12, 2021
So, in the Autumn of 1990 we headed up there again to get her shifted to the Jetty. We strapped oil drums to her, nailed her together and waited for the tide. pic.twitter.com/AQxgpmgLG4
Series of posts….13
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 12, 2021
So the tide comes in, and she floats, and Colin Campbells mate turns up with his fishing boat and tows her around Island Flodda where we pull her ashore in the dark, prop her up, and hope she is still upright in the morning….. pic.twitter.com/TEw1fEIMT9
Series of posts ..14
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 12, 2021
The next morning she is high and dry, and still upright. So we take off all the oil drums, etc, and winch her up the slope onto the roadway. It was a bit of a struggle, but we made it, and left her there for the RAF to collect in a day or so. pic.twitter.com/DrCh4Lr5Lv
Series of posts…15a
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 13, 2021
Barbara was left there, the RAF picked her up and carried her to the Jetty where she waited for the Army supply ship. When we arrived back in Fowey we were told the ships captain deemed Barbara too fragile to carry….aaargh. pic.twitter.com/g9LAf4Sjzm
Series of posts…15b
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 13, 2021
So it was a bit of a surprise a week or so later when the ship arrived
It was also a suprise when we saw her in the hold.
She had broken into 3 pieces on loading aboard the ship ! pic.twitter.com/Z1s5r1E4ZX
series of posts…16a
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 13, 2021
It was really disappointing to see Barbara in 3 pieces, but, the following day started to disassemble the wreckage, keeping the main oak timbers from the centreline, the main deck beam, and of course the 16 cwt lead keel. pic.twitter.com/BtqLDidql5
series of posts…16b
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 13, 2021
This was 1990, and the keel was put away, the main timbers were stored in a friends barn.
2015 and the space became a possibility in my new workshop. The keel was cleaned up, and set up level. a new centreline of solid Oak was cut out and set up on the keel pic.twitter.com/79F1oxUbce
series of posts ….17a
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 13, 2021
Over the next 5 years, a little was done to the new Barbara,
When Lockdown hit, in March 2020, work on customers boats came to a dead halt, no-one was really sure what as going to happen, but the second day of lockdown saw me start again on Barbara, pic.twitter.com/xeHU3wjgao
Great race for Barbara, Troy number 12, her first time back racing in Fowey for around 63 years.
— Marcus Lewis (@boatbuilder9) May 15, 2021
In challenging conditions we came in third, well pleased.
pics by Jane Spencer pic.twitter.com/9ul94hKjnC
Now that is no longer a retoration, but rather a complete reconstruction using the original lead keel!
What a really beautiful account of true dedication a one design boat. Marcus deserves all the admiration for his stoic persistence. I shall look out for her on my next visit to Fowey, our method of beating cabin fever in normal circumstances.
Great project. Thanks for posting it Gavin.
It is always a hard one with historic boats. Because it is emotional everything that happens, the successes and failures and even the false steps gain a context.
It might have been very much simpler to just build the boat from new materials. But the connection with the original are what makes it into a deeper experience.
Michael Storer