A barge with a Viking-style square sail

The Humber keel Comrade is a rare surviving example of a type of craft evolved to work the difficult Humber Estuary, and its tributaries and canals. She was built in 1923, at Warren’s shipyard at New Holland, and was originally named Wanda. At 61ft 6in in length and 15ft 6in in beam, she had a hold capable of carrying over a hundred tons in cargo.

The Humber is very much part of Viking invader territory, and I do wonder how much this unusual square sail may owe to those invaders of more than a thousand years ago.

For more on Comrade and her sister ship Humber sloop Amy Howson,  see http://www.keelsandsloops.org.uk/

 

Norfolk wherry Ardea back in Broadland

The Norfolk pleasure wherry Ardea is back on The Broads – in fact she’s being restored by the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company of Horning, which is well known as the home of another popular pleasure wherry, the White Moth.

For some news of the Ardea: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/4302632.stm

For some photos: http://www.ncsl.co.uk/ardea/index1.htm

Take a holiday with the company restoring Ardea (I’ve done it and I recommend it!): http://www.norfolk-broads.com/

If you can add to this story, please email me at gmatkin@gmail.com .