Tag: Faversham Creek

Locals turn out for the 2012 Faversham Nautical Festival

 

The Faversham Nautical Festival organised by the Kentish Sail Association seems to have been a great success, with glorious weather, an interesting collection of boats and musical entertainment.

But perhaps the best thing about it will have been the healthy level of interest that local people showed in the event itself and in Faversham’s historic Creek, which I’m sure local councillors and others cannot fail to have noticed. See the Faversham Creek Trust’s write-up of the event.

Among the boats present were the steam tug Barking, the gunpowder sailing barge Lady of the Lea, the 1898 Dutch barge Hoop van Zegen, the schooner Elinor, the Phil Bolger-designed Crow, the smack Pioneer, that 1923 Hillyard sailing yacht Dorma, the modern-built clinker Suffolk beach punt Moonlight and the Maurice Griffiths-designed bawley-derived Picotee.

My thanks go to Steve Taylor for the photos above.

Good news on the banks of Faversham and Oare Creeks

 

There were two great pieces of news at Hollowshore this weekend: Ham Marshes have been saved from the gravel-diggers, and the sailing barge repair business previously at Standard Quay in Faversham has arrived at Oare Creek.

Swale Borough Council’s planners are to be congratulated for making the right decision on the Marshes – it never did make any sense to destroy an internationally important habitat for wildlife, or to expand one business in a way that would destroy others.

Faversham’s loss of the sailing barge repairers is sad and unnecessary, but their arrival just yards from the wonderful The Shipwright’s Arms on the banks of Oare Creek is good news for the area’s boating community, and for the pub – and at least the repair business remains in the area.

It’ll be fascinating to see which vessels come in for repairs and restoration, and we can watch it all happening from our own mooring over a cup of tea and a slice of malt loaf…

YouTube video of ship building in Faversham Creek

Patrick Hay has written to drawn attention to a fabulous YouTube video about the history of Faversham Creek including some splendid footage of the famous sideways launch and some authentic voices. It’s a great way to spend 11 minutes, particularly if you know the area.