Sailing cruisers – Page 43 – intheboatshed.net

Steel-hulled schooner for sale, lying at Standard Quay, Faversham

A pal and I dropped by Standard Quay at Faversham to see if we could spot a little lugger that we’d heard a friend is considering buying, so I took the opportunity to bag some photos of how things are there now. I’m sorry if you feel they’re not up to my usual standard – on arrival I discovered the battery of my usual camera was flat and so had to use my mobile phone, which seems to produce quite blue-grey images. I must get a spare.

Anyway, if you’re in the market for a steel-hulled schooner liveaboard, the one currently for sale at Standard Quay may be just what you’re looking for. It looked in pretty good shape to us, though neither of us has ever seen it sailing. The schooner’s pictured above.

On a more cheerful note, the first two shots above are of the lovely small Thames sailing barge Lady of the Lea, two shots of Bob Roberts’ old sailing barge Cambria in restoration and a nice little Roxane that lives on the creek here.

And below is the bow of another Thames sailing barge Lady Daphne, here in a dry dock being repaired after a racing accident (I believe) and the yuppie flats that have already encroached the area opposite Standard Quay. The blue banner reads ‘Save Standard Quay’. For more on the Standard Quay campaign, click here.

Lady Daphne, Save Standard Quay banner

Standard Quay cause makes the national press

The developers planning to turn the Standard Quay area of Faversham into a yuppie flat and restaurant area seem to be gaining momentum with their project. We gather have given the traditional craftsmen of the area notice to quit.

It’s desperately sad to see such an important maritime centre ruined for the sake of the awesome but stupid god Mammon, but it’s heartening too that the opposition is also gathering strength, and this article published in The Guardian this week is an excellent example. I hope the developers and more particularly the Swale planning authority read this, realise what they’ve done and do something urgent to improve the long term position.

The issue has also been covered by the local TV station’s news team, as the The Quay website explains.

Read an earlier post to find out more about Standard Quay and the issues involved.

PS – One of the reasons why Standard Quay is important is that it is one of very few places where the skills and facilities exist to maintain Thames sailing barges. I’ve been asked to tell readers that there’s a new film in production about Thames sailing barges, and that a trailer can be viewed here. I’m sure I recognise Bob Roberts in it by the way, so it probably also features Cambria, which is arguably the most famous Thames sailing barge of all. And guess which barge is currently at Standard Quay for a major overhaul? Yes, it’s the Cambria…

Photos of Scoter in Norway in the 1960s – and an intriguing change to her cabin

I was charmed this week to hear from Marion Dybing, a Norwegian friend of the Griersons, long time owners of this famous and influential old yacht currently being restored in Cornwall.

From what Marion says, the cabin top shown in the black and white shots is older and possibly the original. If so, I imagine her new owner Jan Carpenter might find himself having to think through which of the two styles he would prefer to go with. If it was my project, I think I’d want go with the one that Maurice Griffiths saw and was so influenced by in his youth.

‘Hi Gavin

‘I just received a Christmas letter from Sheila, with the link to the Scoter case. I have been a friend of the Griersons since 1961, when we met in Farsund, Norway, where I was a journalist in the local newspaper. My heart is breaking when I look at the pictures, remembering all the wonderful times we shared on board, both in Norway and in Scotland.

‘I enclose some photos that I already had scanned. If these are of any interest, I’ll scan them again separately. I also have other photos, but have to dig them out of my archive.

‘The black and white shows Scoter in Farsund harbour, with Colin, Sheila, Audrey and Dough, probably 1961. The other one shows Audrey and Colin with me and my family the same year. The colour photos also show Scoter in Farsund harbour with Audrey, some friends that were sailing with them, and myself and my daughter.

‘The girl on the quay is a journalist from the newspaper. As you see the cabin top has been totally changed. I think this photo was taken in 1968.

‘All the best wishes from

‘Marion Dybing’

Many, many thanks Marion. I know these shots will be fascinating to those interested in the Scoter project. And a merry Christmas to you!

PS – Just after Christmas Marion sent me some more photos that I hope will be hugely useful in Jan’s project to restore Scoter. A selection of them are posted below: