Does anyone know the history of Fiddle of Faversham?

This is the clinker-built bawley Fiddle of Faversham, currently at Rolt’s Boatyard, Bristol, for some serious repair and restoration work.

Mark Rolt says that below the water line she is primarily still elm, but a couple of planks are gone. However, she has no hog whatsoever.

Mark, who worked at Iron Wharf for a time as a youngster before running away to sea and living in the USA for a while, is appealing for information about her history, if anyone has any please? What is her age (her clinker construction suggests she may be quite old), who has owned and used her, and where has she been over the years?

If you can help, please drop me a line at gmatkin@gmail.com and I’ll pass your information, email address etc on to Mark.

PS – in answer to a query, she’s 29ft long.

1958: how the Canadians blew up a navigational hazard

Gosh. How the Canadians dealt with the murderous Ripple Rock in Seymour Narrows, British Columbia with a ginormous bang. Can we do this with the SS Richard Montgomery, and can I watch please?

My thanks to Ed Maggs for the tip off.

Eye of the Wind film and 1970s reminiscence event at Faversham

EoWAtFaversham EoWNameplate

The Faversham Creek Trust folks are organising an evening of reminiscences about the Creek based around the restoration of the famous world-circling tall ship Eye of the Wind at Faversham in the 1970s.

The event is to take place at the Fleur de Lys hall in the town on the 21st February at 7pm (doors open at 6.30). Tickets are rather restricted as the organisers want to find room for people with memories and stories to share, but entrance is free. If you’d like to attend, contact the trust.

(Read about the Eye here and here.)

The trust folks will show film provided by Tiger Timbs, who was involved in the restoration and later became her master.

The film shows a lot of the work that was done in the Creek and also the history of the ship herself, and this will hopefully trigger lots of memories of that time from locals and others who were involved – not only about what was happening on the Eye herself, but also around the Creek generally.

There will also be a short talk from the skipper of the Leila – a spectacular Victorian gentleman’s racing yacht based in Suffolk, which is run to benefit the same kind of community that the Creek Trust is hoping to involve in the maritime revival of Faversham Creek.

The Leila Trust has already offered a subsidised berth to an unemployed young (or not so young) person from Faversham, and we are hoping that we will be able to have some youngsters in the audience too let them see a bit of the history and maybe inspire them to get involved.

PS… I’m planning to be at the event and have been honoured to be asked to play some tunes and maybe chip in with a song if there’s time. No doubt I’ll think of a few appropriate items…