19th Century painting of racing Thames barges

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Rounding the Lightship, Photomezzotype from a watercolour of a Thames barge racing match by Ernest Stuart

Rounding the Lightship, Photomezzotype from a watercolour of a Thames barge racing match by artist Ernest Stuart
Jeff Cole has sent me a scan of this sweet Photomezzotype of Rounding the Lightship, a water colour by the artist Ernest Stuart.

Ernest Stuart was a late 19th and early 20th century seascape and marine artist noted for his depictions of breaking waves. Apparently, this painting was exhibited between 1889 and 1915 at various noted galleries in the UK including the Royal Academy.

Jeff suggests this painting may have been from the same period as this painting on show at artnet by the same artist.

For more photos of the Thames follow this link. Don’t miss the shot of the older swim-headed type of Thames barge tucked away among Henry Taunt’s photos!

Ships that Saved the Empire – the third instalment

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Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment

A shipyard image from The Ships that Saved the Empire. I particularly like the figures high up on the deck. I suppose they would have seemed to be performing some kind of wild dance in real life also. Click on the pictures for larger, clearer images

Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment

Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment

Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment

Ships that Saved the Empire - the third instalment

I couldn’t resist including this image of a sweet little tank engine!

Ships that Saved the Empire is a children’s book, and I’d suggest a classic piece of contemporary propaganda. If you would like to know more about this history of the era, this may help rather more:
The First World War, Second Edition: A Complete History

This should tell an interesting story too:
Warships of the World to 1900

Follow this link for more Ships that Saved the Empire!

A wonderful shed at Bosham – and an even more wonderful zulu skiff!

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A wonderful boatbuilding shed at Bosham - and a wonderful zulu!

This all-mod-cons boatbuilding shed at Bosham is on sale via estate agents Jackson-Stops and Staff in Chichester

A wonderful shed at Bosham - and a wonderful zulu restored by Nick Gates!

Zulu skiff Ocean Pearl restored by Nick Gates

Family matters and moving house are conspiring to keep me away from my computer and the Internet this week, but I’ve just about found time to put a post and these photos up from Chris Partridge. South Coast boatbuilders look out – this could be just the shed for you!

‘How about this for a boat shed? It has all the new technology including dust control, insulation, three phase power etc etc. Luxury!

‘It was built on the site of the old Combes yard at Bosham, entirely because the developer wasn’t allowed to cover the site with houses. The local council and the harbour conservancy didn’t want to lose all capacity for
boatbuilding in the area. Unfortunately, it seems likely that the shed will be demolished and replaced with a house anyway – an estate agent chum ofmine says it is to be sold with one of the new houses, and the owner is likely to hang on to it for a year, and make an application to replace it with a house on the grounds that no-one wants to build boats in it. So if anyone wants a cracking boatshed, apply to Jackson-Stops and Staff in Chichester.

‘I took the snap while out rowing, and coincidentally passed Ocean Pearl, a 1933 zulu skiff that originally fished out of Peterhead. She was restored by Nick Gates at Combes before it went under at the end of the last century. Doesn’t she look great?

‘There are pictures of the restoration on his website at www.nickgates.co.uk. The old Combes shed was definitely time-expired, but the new one deserves to have boats such as Ocean Pearl brought back to life in it.’

Warington Smyth’s Mast and Sail in Europe and Asia has more on the zulu, and explains how it derived from the fifie and the scaffie.

See Nick’s website at www.nickgates.co.uk.

Is Ocean Pearl a zulu, fifie or a baldie? Click here.