91

The Newsletter of the SOUTH WEST MARITIME HISTORY SOCIETY ` ISSN 1360-6980 CONTENTS –NO. 91 – May 2013 Edited by Jonathan Seagrave

FUTURE MEETINGS 3

EDITORIAL AND MEMBERSHIP 4

Kathleen and May Response from Government 6

ARTICLES Newport Ship Colin Green 8 The Lightship Ken Doughty 9 Medway Queen The Editor 12 Watchet The Editor 14

REVIEWS British Warships and Auxiliaries S Bush rev. Roger Bunbury 16 Gone .W. Cumming rev. David Clement 17 Fight for the Fjords rev. Roger Bunbury 19

LETTERS NOTES AND NEWS 22

WEBERY 27

OFFICERS and COMMITTEE back cover

WEBSITE. http://www.swmaritime.org.uk/

1 Individual contributions © Individual contributors. Entire journal © South West Maritime History Society 2013.

Views expressed are the authors’ and not necessarily those of the Society or editor.

Please note the Society cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information on websites and that references in older editions may not be accurate.

Annual Subscriptions Due 1st April. £15 cash cheque for 2013/14.NOW DUE £20.00 from April 2014 or £15 if paid by Standing Order. Students can take advantage of our special annual subscription of £10. A Standing Order form /invoice for 2014 onwards is enclosed . Please return as soon as convenient. In future individual reminders will not be sent.

All correspondence to the Membership Secretary. ( details back cover )

Next copy date: August 20 2013

2 FUTURE MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS

2013 June 8 SWMHS - Annual General Meeting Topsham.(papers & calling notice enclosed )

DO PLEASE CONSIDER COMING. We need to be quorate and there will, as usual, be interesting presentations as well as the formal business which should be brief.

There will also be an opportunity to discuss next steps in our involvement with advocacy and lobbying for our maritime heritage.

2013 June 1st WSS Naval Meeting Bristol ffi R Osborne [email protected]

2013 June 9 SWMHS - Sail in Cornubia from Plymouth Marina PLACES STILL AVAILABLE at Press date ffi Julia Creeke 01395 513962 or [email protected] 2013 July 13 SWMHS - Devonport Navy Base South Yard ffi Martin Hazell. ( calling notice sent, also available on website ) 2013 September (day tbd) SWMHS - Swansea 2013 September 10 -12 Deck to Dock, Exeter University Conference (Ends 12th) 2013 October (day tbd) SWMHS - Watchet 2013 November 17 Clovelly Herring Festival 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. (Italics indicate an event of interest but not organised directly by the Society) Confirmation of events will be published either in the next edition or in calling notices for bookings, which will be sent to members at the appropriate time.

Other Events Paul Barnett is repeating his regular tours of the Purton site ffi 07833 143231 [email protected] 3 EDITORIAL AND MEMBERSHIP

This edition comes hard on the heels of SWS90, so the AGM calling notice and papers can come with it. I am abroad for much of May, so this may be a little dated by the time you see it. I hope to see many of you at the AGM.

There has been little progress on . The correspondence is now on our web site. The Department for Culture has rejected the idea of her being used for WW1 memorialisation, see below, and without their support and interest the chance of the lottery coming up with the money must be much reduced. The sad aspect for me is the unwillingness of any large organisation to put their hand up and say, if there is a scheme we want to at least participate. The DCMA seems to me to warrant an award for sheer dullness when presented with an exciting idea.

Martin is organising a meeting of interested committee members to see where we go from here. Regardless of K&M the wider preservation issues remain. However, if we are to make any progress we must work with others. The most obvious national organisations are National Historic Ships, and the recently launched Maritime Heritage Trust, an umbrella group for all those with an interest. Martin and I have had contact with them, but if you have had any involvement with these, please let us know. The AGM will give an excellent opportunity to share your views with the Committee.

A gentle reminder to non Standing Order (SO) members that subs ( £15) are due now. And Maritime South West will only be sent to paid up members. It will be available at the AGM as usual. Individual reminders will not be sent in future because of postal costs.

4 The standing order form to change your SO for 2014/15 is enclosed.( and is also on the website) . Please complete it right away and return to the Membership Secretary, so we can log the details and avoid the admin issues that have plagued us in the past.

We wish you good sailing and reading now that spring ( and we hope summer ) has finally arrived.

Jonathan Seagrave

From web – source unknown

5 Kathleen and May The Politicians’ Response

Thank for your letter of 26 February to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey MP, and for your email message of 18 March to the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Maria Miller MP. I have been asked to reply and I apologise for the delay in doing so.

I agree that the Kathleen and May is an important part of our maritime heritage, which is why Mr Vaizey agreed, on the advice of the Reviewing Committee, to defer the export licence in the hope that a UK purchaser can be found. As you will no doubt be aware, a serious offer to purchase the Kathleen and May has been received and this is good news. Those behind the offer now have until 19 June to raise the £2 million required to keep the schooner in the UK and we must all hope that the bid is successful.

Should this approach fail, however, then an export licence would be granted. I am afraid it is not possible to set conditions to an export licence in the way the South West Maritime History Society suggests or for the Government to ensure that the new owners receive expert advice on the preservation of the Kathleen and May in a tropical climate, although this clearly makes sense.

I note the South West Maritime History Society’s wish to see greater emphasis placed on Lottery funding for the floating heritage. The Heritage Lottery Fund is able to make grants towards the preservation of historic vessels but there is, of course, strong competition for funding from other areas. Arts Council England also administers the Preservation of Industrial and Scientific Material (PRISM) Fund, which provides funding towards the costs of acquisition and conservation of items or collections which are important in the history and development of science, technology, industry, and related fields.

Turning to the points you raised in your e-mail message of 18 March, we are currently receiving a number of First World War related proposals and I regret that it is not possible to meet all those who have put these forward. However, as a forerunner of the predation of the

6 allied convoys in the 1939-45 conflict, the story of the submarine threat faced by the Merchant Fleet during the First World War is a fascinating one. Thank you for sharing your ideas about how this might be told.

Trevor Dawes for Department of Culture Media and the Arts

Newport Ship model 1:10 © Colin Green

7 ARTICLES

Current Affairs at the Newport Ship

Over ten years have gone by since the chance discovery, in the muddy bank of the River Usk, of what has become the most important medieval ship yet found. It seems, therefore, high time to briefly review the current position with a more detailed article planned for the next edition of Maritime South West.

Since being recovered the many timbers of the ship have been lying in tanks at the ship centre in Newport. They lie in a solution of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) which impregnates the structure of the wood to drive out the water and strengthen the timber ready for the next process which is the freeze drying. If this were not done the timbers would distort during the drying process. Hitherto, freeze drying has been undertaken at a specialist centre in York but an arrangement has been made to install a freeze drying machine at the Newport centre and this has been in use for the last few months. It is a long process, though, and not expected to be completed for a couple of years.

The ultimate objective is to reconstruct the ship completely for display in conjunction with other vessels that have been recovered from the nearby Gwent Levels over the last twenty years. It is with this in mind that a parallel activity has been under way to digitally record the hull shape using laser equipment known as a Faro arm which records millions of points upon individual components and translates this data in three dimensions to a highly detailed computer image. This process has allowed the construction of a 1:10 plastic model of the remaining hull together with a projected visualization of the entire original ship in a skeletal form using plastic battens. A recent conclusion arising from this process is that it is almost certain that the ship had a flat transom stem rather than the rounded stern normally found in fifteenth century ships. This is quite exciting since it would be the earliest known vessel with this hull formation, the earliest so far known being the Red Bay wreck in Labrador and the , both of which date from the early sixteenth century. 8 Historical research continues on the origin of the ship and its possible identity: current thinking is fairly strongly in favour of a build in the Basque country of northern Spain, with most evidence trending towards such a conclusion. The name is more problematical but work in progress may yield results before too long.

Hold your breath, folks and watch out for further revelations!

Colin Green

The Lightship

These notes refer to the representation of a lightship which appears on the side of one of the two marquetry boxes in our possession. Other sides of the boxes show various sailing ships and in one case a twin- funnelled paddle steamer.

One of the boxes is a typical type of small Victorian desk for writing on and keeping correspondence in, and the other is a work box for sewing paraphernalia. Seeing the word “Cork” clearly delineated on the side of the lightship on the box, I assumed that it must be of Irish origin, but in response to a request I made to Trinity House, I learned that it was, in fact, on the Cork Ledge off Harwich/Felixstowe where it went on station in 1844, which gives the earliest date after which the box could have been made. Her successors were there until 1975 when they were replaced by LANBYs, (Large Automatic Navigation Buoys).

Lighthouses have been in existence since the 1500s, but the first lightship did not appear until 1732 and this was a converted sailing ship, with lights on each end of the yard. It was stationed in the mouth of the Thames off Hamblin. Problems were experienced in keeping it on station and there were only five such ships in use until the beginning of the 19th century. The invention of iron chains made mooring more reliable and at their peak there were as many as sixty custom-built ships located round the British Isles.

The ship depicted would have used an oil lamp, which would have been hoisted up the mast half an hour before sunset, by a manually operated winch and lowered each morning to be cleaned and trimmed. The crew of seven also had to adjust the moorings for tidal changes and to have 9 sounded a bell or gong in case of fog. These were not very effective and they were replaced by manually or steam operated horns after 1869. The early ships were strongly built of wood and had two bilge keels each side to enable them to ride more comfortably in heavy weather.

Crews filled their spare time with various activities such as making ships in bottles, weaving mats, reading and making marquetry boxes, of which this may well be an example. There is a similar one in Ramsgate Maritime Museum.

Cork was a popular posting since it was in comparatively calm waters and received frequent visitors, especially during the summer months. This ensured a plentiful supply of fresh provisions, newspapers, donations and customers for handicrafts. There were also Christmas visits from local dignitaries. There was, in consequence, a waiting list of crewmen wishing to join the vessel, which was often the ship to which final promotions occurred.

Most of this information comes from a book entitled Guiding Lights: The design & Development of the British Lightvessel from 1732 By Anthony Lane. Tempus Publishing Ltd. 2001

Ken Doughty

10 SEEN IN PORT Medway Queen

11 Views: general view; empty sponson looking up; and along the hull.

In early April I was lucky enough to be able to tour the Medway Queen under (re)construction in Abels’ yard, next to the SS Great Britain. It was a chilly morning, but Ian Cutts, who worked on her for some months, said it was even chillier in the winter before dawn!

As most members will know, after the ship had a sorry history of sinking and neglect, the Medway Queen Preservation Society secured a very substantial grant from the Lottery for her reconstruction .

The hull was largely complete, one paddle is mounted in the port sponson, and much of the deck planking is down. There is however, a way to go before she can be launched for fitting out. I understand she is to be towed to Gillingham for this. The boilers aren’t installed and the engine looks to my unexpert eye to need quite a lot of work.

Walking around her showed her graceful underwater lines, and I took a rare picture looking up to the sponson arch, one that won’t be easily repeated when the second paddle is in.

12 I was conscious of a certain irony in the reconstruction of a floating paddle steamer right next to that grounded pioneer of screw propulsion, the Great Britain ! Also under construction was a replica West Country steel schooner for a Mediterranean owner.

Perhaps one day we will see a paddler regatta with Waverley, Medway Queen and Kingswear Castle together.

I am very grateful to David Abels for permission to visit, and Bob Cutts and his son Ian for showing me around.

See also Bob’s numerous photos at:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/panr/sets/72157633173456210/

There is a lot more on the Trust’s website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_Medway_Queen

Jonathan Seagrave

13 HOME WATERS Watchet Harbour

Jenny Wren

Many members will know the little port of Watchet and will remember the coasters that brought waste paper and carried away scrap metal until the late 90’s. Commercial traffic effectively ceased with the construction of the marina, though the Balmoral still called in summer with trippers. It was indeed a “green” port before it became fashionable.

A visit last autumn showed a port with much visible interest for the maritime historian, both in the museums, and in the harbour itself.

The Flatner museum, in an old GWR goods shed next to the station, holds several examples both original and modern replicas, such as Tony James’ Jack , and is well worth a visit.

Two other exhibits are especially noteworthy. The last mud horse, a strange sled used to reach distant nets and traps across the vast expanses of Severn sand and mud, is on display.

14 It must have been very hard work. They also have rope making machinery from the last ropewalk in Wales, which closed at the end of the 1990’s, and hope to restore it. (though the Flatner shed may be a bit short for a ropewalk).

The town museum, in the old market hall, has several maritime paintings by Thomas Chidgey, one of the pierhead painters, who have left us with a good idea of the appearance of the small sailing vessels that frequented West Country ports. It also holds photos of the cruiser HMS Fox, the largest vessel to enter the harbour, which was broken up there in the early 20’s.when a shipbreaking business briefly operated at the port. Although short lived, HMS Fox had an active career in the East. In the 19 c. iron ore export to S Wales was of significance to the port, although erratic.

There is a detailed display on the iron ore tram road. The ore was shipped to S Wales in small sailing vessels, and coal was returned for the large paper mill. Storms damaged the ironstone quay, and the trade faded away.

The museum has a list of vessels owned and operated from Watchet compiled in the 1930’s, this could be a useful reference source; it also has a number of models of local craft and small artefacts.

Both the museums are free, but of course donations are welcomed.

Looking to the current harbour scene, the ex HMS Gay Archer, a postwar MTB, was sitting on the mud belieing her potential for high speed. Ashore in the marina, and being repainted, was the yawl Jenny Wren. Built at Porthleven in 1926, she is on the national register.

Flatner museum Ffi John Nash [email protected] http://www.watchetmuseum.co.uk

15 REVIEWS

British Warships & Auxiliaries The Complete Guide to the Ships & Aircraft of the Fleet. Steve Bush , Maritime Books 2013. 112 pp. ill. 149x210 sft/cvrs. £8.99

Many readers will be familiar with “BRITISH WARSHIPS & AUXILIARIES” which has been in production for many years with back numbers available (at £3.50) for most years from 1979. In 2011 Maritime Books published as “BRITISH WARSHIPS & AUXILIARIES 1952 ~ Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Edition” which runs to 376 pages, in contrast to the 112 pages in the latest edition, thus dramatising the decline in the size of the over the years. Even at 112 pages, less than a quarter of the present edition covers warships, notwithstanding the inclusion of minor war vessels such as mine hunters. The remainder of the publication is taken up with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the many miscellaneous vessels such as tugs & tenders (now operated by SERCO), and 20 pages covering naval weapons and naval aircraft. A further two pages list ships no longer in service, which may be of particular interest to SWMHS members as some are now open to the public, including HMS Caroline, a cruiser which fought at Jutland, but which is now at awaiting renovation as a tourist attraction.

In an Introduction the author points out that the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in 2010 was ill thought out, and while it aimed to reshape the forces to counter the perceived threats from 2020 it was accompanied by the savage slashing of current equipment, creating massive capability gaps, in the misguided belief that nothing untoward would happen during the transition from the Armed Forces of 2010 to those slimmed down capabilities required in 2020. However, within 16 months the government were caught off-guard by the unforeseen events of the “Arab Spring”. HMS Ark Royal and her Harriers (both scrapped by SDSR 2010) would have been invaluable off Libya.

Other faulty government decisions on naval airpower are highlighted. After the sensible decision to reverse the previous government's choice of the VSTOL version of the F-35 (the F-35B) in favour of the more capable conventional take-off and landing version (F-35C) there was a further reversal back to the F-35B in order to save money in the short term by avoiding the cost of equipping the new Carriers with catapults and arrester gear. The F-35C would have made RN Carriers interoperable with the US & French navies while the F-35B, aside from being a less capable aircraft, will cost more to buy and operate and in the longer term will prove a much more expensive choice. Other themes covered include the replacement of the nuclear deterrent, the inadequate number of destroyers and , the lack of Offshore Patrol Vessels for constabulary operations not requiring high end warships, and the mismatch between the demands placed upon the Royal Navy and the budget provided for ships, aircraft and men.

Roger Bunbury

Gone.... A Chronicle of The Seafarers and Ships of R & J Craig of Glasgow. Bill Cumming. ISBN: 978- 1-83927-013- 7. Brown Son & Ferguson Ltd,, 4/10, Darnley Street, Glasgow G41 2SD. Hardback 2 15mm x 150mm, 359 pages, with 95 b&w and colour illustrations £55.00 plus p&p.

Whilst this publication is not inexpensive, the quality and contents more than make up. As many know the reviewer has a love of the final merchant sailing vessels in the last trades open to them with the increasing competition from powered vessels. Bill Cumming has taken the story of one company, its development, organisation and the vessels it operated, whilst not forgetting the human side of the officers and men that manned these ships.

He has produced an exceptional publication that addresses many of the myths of current thinking and, refreshingly, tells it ‘as it was.’ Many readers will know Brown Son & Ferguson, specialist publishers who 17 have been in business since 1832 producing technical books for the maritime trades and – possibly better known to our members – for the books on sail written by Basil Lubbock, and Harold A. Underhill, together with their monthly Nautical Magazine ; now joined by Bill Cumming.

The author has chosen to lay out the narrative into descriptive sections - Bowsprit; Foremast; Mainmast; Mizzen Mast; Jigger Mast and Wake. These detail, in 22 chapters, the commencement, growth and eventual decline of the company and their very well-known ships, starting with the wood barque Majestic, through five iron ships, seven composite, and twelve iron 4-masted barques from the County of Peebles of 1875, and culminating in the County of Linlithgow of 1887, and covering a building period from 1846 to 1887. Each vessel is dealt with in considerable detail and well illustrated. Many of the photos have not been previously been published. The County of Peebles pioneered (with the Tweedsdale) the genre of 4-masted vessels, albeit there were earlier 4-masted vessels – notably the Great Republic of 1853 and even the ‘rafts’ Columbus and Baron of Renfrew of the 1820s, which latter were built to avoid taxation!

This is a really excellent book which also deals in depth with the masters, officers and crew of the ships and one is left with the heady smell of hemp, tar, rust and paint evocative of those last days of commercial sail which generally saw hard work and poor provisions as the order of the day. The author is the grandson of two of the masters on Craig’s ‘County’ Line vessels and has spent many years on this original research, and deserves congratulations for the results. My only criticisms are, the pagination numbering which is omitted in the ‘Contents’ headings, which makes it less than user-friendly to locate a specific chapter quickly; and the cost of the book which is likely to make it a scarce item in booksellers’ premises. The book can however be obtained direct from the publishers, address as above or on 0141 429 1234. That apart, I could not put the book down and it is both a great read and full of detailed and often previously unpublished information.

David Clement

18 Fight for the Fjords University of Plymouth Press 1st 2012. 387pp maps & charts p/b 157x234 (ISBN 978-1-84102-306-9) ( -305-2 for hardback). Price £17 p/b, £35 h/b. Foreword by Admiral Lord Alan West GCB DSC PC, introduction by MJ Pearce and R Porter PhD. Battle Summary No. 17: Naval Operations of the Campaign in Norway. German Naval History Series: The German Campaign in Norway .Website and to order Hardback or Paperback

This is the fourth in the series BRITANNIA NAVAL HISTORIES OF WORLD WAR II and it is in a similar format to the first 3 volumes which were reviewed in Soundings No. 88 q.v.. This volume is of particular value because of the inclusion of the story from the German side. Fight for the Fjords read in conjunction with Geirr Haarr's 2 volumes (published in 2009 & 2010) written from a Norwegian perspective will give a rounded picture of a campaign which was described by Winston Churchill as 'ramshackle'. The campaign is of especial interest in that it was the first major clash in history in which all three arms 'sea, land and air' were involved.

The origins of the campaign were the desire of the Allies (Britain, France & Poland) to disrupt supplies of Swedish iron ore to Germany via Narvik by mining Norwegian territorial waters; to provide help to the embattled Finns through Scandinavia, the only feasible route; and on the German side their recognition of the strategic value of occupying Norway. Given the overwhelming superiority of the Royal Navy the German invasion plan was risky but, by exploiting the element of surprise, successful. By a narrow margin (24 hours) the Germans struck first, on 9 April 1940, and "within 48 hours all the airfields and the principal seaports in Norway were in [their] hands" and all the German navy heavy units, less the Blucher, sunk in Oslo fjord, "were.... back in German ports by 14 April".

The Allies' response was to land forces at a number of points on the Norwegian coast with the intention of fighting overland to recapture key ports. Only Narvik was eventually recaptured, but by then France had been defeated, the evacuation from Dunkirk was in progress and it was decided to return all forces to Britain for the defence of the homeland.

19 Although there were some signal British successes, such as the Second Battle of Narvik, the Germans enjoyed marked air superiority and this proved decisive in the overall failure of the Allied campaign which was marked by many shortcomings, not least in the command structure.

Despite the defeat of the Allies and German occupation of Norway there were positive aspects: the campaign left the German navy in no condition to support an invasion of Britain, and Churchill, who as First Lord of the Admiralty bore a major share of responsibility for the ill- managed campaign, was propelled into the office of Prime Minister; the Norwegian Government was evacuated to Britain, and Norway, which hitherto had had friendly relations with Germany, thereafter played a valuable role in opposing Germany. Moreover Hitler's persistent fear of an Allied re-invasion of Norway tied up some 400,000 troops who could have been usefully employed elsewhere.

Fight for the Fjords begins with admirable clarity, a good Introduction being followed by the Battle Summary which includes an Overview and a chapter on Preliminary Events. Thereafter the story becomes less clear; this is not a failing on the part of the authors, but a reflection of a campaign marked by unpreparedness, confusion and changes of plan on the British side. It is not surprising that the German naval historian's account written under the auspices of the British Admiralty and published in 1948 is clearer; the Germans had a coherent plan to which they adhered within the constraints imposed by the losses and occasional reverses they experienced.

It is a rewarding volume to read but the reader's understanding is not made easier by a number of shortcomings in its production. There are the usual typos but only one serious one (p23), "Two-speed destroyer sweep" appearing as the nonsensical "Two-speed destroyer ship". More distracting is that the 'Endnotes' to the Battle Summary are in the main incorrectly numbered. Often it is a case of adding or subtracting '1' from the Endnotes after no.48 (of 341) but in some cases it is difficult to establish the correct reference. It seems plausible that these errors were carried over from the original text but it is a pity they were not corrected in this volume. Some of the charts are reproduced at too small a scale to be wholly legible without the use of a magnifying glass, especially when the original was marked in a colour which reproduces faintly, and the

20 problem is exacerbated when the chart is printed (too often) across the gutter.

Aside from these shortcomings Fight for the Fjords is a useful addition to the literature on a most interesting campaign about which much has been written, and from which much was learnt, providing a foundation for the Allies' outstandingly successful amphibious operations later in the war.

251658240

http://ww2today.com/

21 LETTERS NOTES AND NEWS

New member Phil Stevens writes :-

I have, as they say, "an old boat", built by Hinks at Appledore, which I am trying to date, etc. There are widely differing opinions...retired boat builders at Appledore say 1970s, while the chap I got it from says the late Alan Hinks told him 1929. Neither seems quite right to me. I am looking for surviving former employees of Hinks, but in the meantime my friend Bruce Scott at Watchet suggested you have an extensive archive. Is there anybody I could send details and photos to who might be able to help? [email protected]

Sail Revival

Lucy Gilliam writes : The Tres Hombres has just arrived at Charlestown , fresh from the Caribbean and laden to the gunwales with 'Fair Transport' rum, Grenada organic chocolate, spices and coconut oil. New Dawn Traders Jamie, Alex and myself are joining her along the South West coast to get a taster for our voyage sailing with them in October to Brazil.

Gavin Allwright reports that contracts for the first “Greenheart” sail/ solar vessel have been finally signed. There will be a fundraising in Bristol in June, and she will visit sometime next year.

Raleigh Wreck Discovered ?

Divers in the Scillies from the Islands Maritime Archaeological Group have found a wreck off St Mary’s that they think may be the pinnace Flying Joan , one of a small flotilla sailing for Virginia for Sir Walter Raleigh, which is known to have sunk in 1617 after the flotilla was dispersed by a storm .

Firm identification has yet to take place, but it appears that a significant part of the ship remains. Cornishman April

22 Portland Sinking

The Marine Accident Branch report on the loss of the Purbeck Isle has been issued today. The main findings are that her hull fastenings were in very poor condition, the underwater survey showed that some of the transom planks had sprung. The liferaft had been secured by additional lashings which prevented it floating free. Radar recordings did not show any other surface vessels in the vicinity at the time of the sinking, there were no submarines operating in that area on that day.

The full report on the MAIB's website is at: http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/PurbeckIsle_Web_Re port.pdf Dave Hills

..and another near Padstow

The fishing boat Courageous II dating from the 1940’s, and much restored by owner Ron Bygott, sank in extreme weather on 28th April in the Camel estuary after an engine failure. It was ironic in that she was sailing to scatter the ashes of former crew member John Fox at his parents’ request. Sadly the figurehead was stolen after she broke up. BBC News

Friends of Black Nore Lighthouse have been set up to preserve the lighthouse that has guarded the point for many years. Ffi 01275 817017

Gloucester Waterways Museum has formed a sub group on coasters and barges in the Severn Estuary ffi Chris Witts [email protected] 01452 526202

Will Stirling has found a new site for his boatbuilding in Plymouth. He is leasing, from Princess Yachts, the historic covered slipway at South Yard, Devonport.

23 Hydrogenesis , the new hydrogen powered ferry, run by a consortium led by Bristol Packet Co, has started public trips in Bristol Harbour. It uses fuel cells and is refuelled from a point near Cumberland Basin.

Marsh Volunteer Awards These awards for a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the conservation or operation of historic vessels in the UK, has prizes of £ 1000 for adult and £ 500 for a young ( under 25) volunteer . Entry has opened and closes 31 August. Details from National Historic Ships www.nationalhistoricships.org

Heritage Open Days

The autumn heritage building open days can include ships ! Owners are encouraged to register. For details contact National Historic Ships

HMS Hood and Bismarck

The recent Ch4 /More4 film on the dive to the wreck of Hood, had some remarkable 1939 colour movies of her, and the sad debris of shoes and a gasmask. The attempt to retrieve her bell was unsuccessful, Ffi producers Blue Water Recoveries

There are a good number of quality TV programmes, including the recent series Deep Wreck Mysteries, Workers Coast, and Sea Fever, all touching on our area of interest. As far as I know, there is no list of maritime videos covering our area. Despite the endless reruns there don’t seem to be a list with sources, locations, names and dates. Could compiling such a list be a project for the Society. Would it be useful ? Are there members interested ?

24 Underfall Yard

The Underfall Yard Trust has received a stage 1 lottery grant to prepare a full feasibility centre for its restoration as a centre of maritime excellence. The Lottery commented :-

Underfall Yard is an extraordinary heritage site and one that reminds us of Bristol’s seafaring prowess during the 19th century. The Trust’s innovative plans will feed into the city’s wider vision for a Maritime Centre of Excellence with ideas for increasing training opportunities perfectly complementing the conservation work. We are giving our initial support towards the project as the first step in the journey towards securing a full Heritage Lottery Fund grant - and look forward to watching progress over the coming months.

HERITAGE BOAT NEWS

Pilgrim

Brixham trawler Pilgrim has returned to service after a major refit, part lottery funded , and is offering a range of charters. FFi http://pilgrimofbrixham.co.uk/

S/S Shieldhall – Some Updates

In the last edition of this magazine Jonathan make a quick mention of our good news. Yes, in answer to last November’s application the Heritage Lottery Fund has decided to award “Shieldhall” the necessary funds to carry out some major works that should ensure that she is brought up to fully seaworthy condition.

In 2013 the ship will fulfil a programme of cruises that will be restricted to sheltered waters – roughly speaking the triangle described by Southampton, The Needles and Bembridge. In September, it is planned to start removal of asbestos – apparently quite a lengthy task. Early in the New Year we hope to get Shieldhall into dry dock for the purpose of carrying out the major structural renewals such as replacing worn shell plating and weakened frames.

25 All being well, the ship should be in a fully seaworthy condition in readiness for the 2014 sailing season. Renewals and upgrades of passenger facilities and similar tasks will be carried out over the following two years.

All this has become possible by the granting of £1.4 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund and matching funds that have resulted from a magnificent response from our members to an appeal to help raise the required ‘matching funds’.

Our sailing programme for this year was published a few weeks ago and can be seen on our website. Note that an additional sailing will take place on July 28th. to celebrate our 25th. year of ownership and preservation of the ship.

Incidentally, our website has been revamped, is now cared for by a very switched on young man who updates it frequently with news and useful information. Keep an eye on Shieldhall by checking www.ss- shieldhall.co.uk from time to time.

Doug Brodie

Irene, now skippered by Rob Salvidge, spent early spring in Plymouth, and now has a charter programme to France, Ireland and around the West Country . Ffi http://cinnabarsolutions.co.uk/Irene/

26 WEBERY

Expanded Menu Display A new horizontal menu bar has been added just above the main content area of every page on the website. If you point your mouse at any of these options an expanded drop-down box shows a summary of the content relating to that menu option. For example, the News option shows:  A summary of the most recent news item.  A link to the 10 most recent items in the General Maritime News category.  A link to the 10 most recent items in the Conservation and Restoration News category.  A link to the full archive back to 2002, containing both categories. The other options are similarly arranged as "one-stop shops" for their associated content.

Forum divided into yearly sub sections As the forum listing had by now grown to some 900 items it had become rather unwieldy. It is now divided into yearly sections, the most recent section covering up to 18months. It is still possible to browse the entire list by clicking the "Archive 2002 to 2013" link in the Forum section of the new Expanded Menu.

Correspondence with official bodies regarding the Kathleen and May and related matters. The Downloads section in the Members' area of the website now includes copies of letters sent and received raising the plight of the Kathleen & May and our maritime heritage in general.

Forgotten Password facility One or two members have found that this would not recognise their email address. Repeating the explanation from page 32 of SW Soundings 90: A member requesting a password reminder has to enter their email address and postcode, if these match those in the membership list, a new

27 username and password are automatically sent to the member's email address. Hence these details need to be kept up to date in the membership list if a password request is to be successful. To notify changes, contact the Gillian, the Membership Secretary, details on the back cover of SW Soundings. If any member wishes their email address to be kept private, Gillian can denote it as not to be displayed on the membership list but still available for validating password requests.

New Link The Historical Maritime Society (Naval re-enactments) https://sites.google.com/site/historicalmaritimesociety/

A Selection of Items from the Forum

Lightship LV50 built in 1879 From SWMHS member R. David Reed. Peter Williams, Admin Officer of the World Lighthouse Society has asked me whether any members can help him in discovering where the Lightship L50, constructed in 1879, was built. Originally stationed on the Seven Stones reef in the Isles of Scilly, she subsequently moved to the Shambles off Weymouth station, then on to Warner, off the Isle of Wight, Calshot Spit and finally to the Outer Gabbard station, off the Essex coast before being decommissioned in the mid 1900s. She is currently HQ of the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club. Unfortunately, Trinity House records were lost during bombing raids in World War II.

Minette steam launch A request for information on this vessel from non-member Alison Trowell in 2008 has now been answered by "Nick" another non-member who writes: "She was restored in Gloucestershire and is now operating on lake Zurich".

Bodinnick Shipyard & John Marks From non-member Dave Stick (who incidentally has been keeping us updated on Charlestown news)

Two friends and I have been researching the history of the shipyard once located at Bodinnick on the River Fowey. 28 We have established that the first shipwright who set up the yard was John Marks and that he was in partnership with William Rendall. Both appear to have been in business in the Fowey area for some period prior to developing the site at Bodinnick on land owned by the Boconnoc Estate.

A study of the estate rent books at CRO, Truro has revealed that the yard began work at the site now occupied by Ferryside - the home of the du Maurier family since the 1920s, in about 1837. The Registers of Shipping also reviewed at CRO, have identified the ships built on the site by Marks. However, what we have been unable to find is when the buildings, now the house named Ferryside, were built and in how many phases. This is important to us in understanding the processes used in building the sloops, ketches and schooners on such a small site. That wonderful reference The Merchant Schooners has been a great help, but relating the build process to the buildings is proving very difficult. I would very much like to hear from anyone who has access to early photographs of the site and that would be able to help, please.

SWMHS member Gary Hicks appended the following sub-topic: You have examined the Shipping Registers at the CRO for vessels built by Marks and Rendall, but these will only have revealed the vessels registered in the ports inspected and you may not therefore know of the PETER and JOHN ON13164 a Sloop built at Bodinnick and launched 21.6.1841 by John Marks which was registered at Plymouth on 22.6.1841.

Entering and Clearing ports From non-member Will M who asks if anyone can help him understand the difference the between ships entering and clearing ports. He is looking at trade statistics for the port of Lingeh in 1902 and while 95 British steamships entered the port, only 47 were cleared.

Barque "Arthur Pardew" of 1855 From non-member Dr. P.-M. Pawlik who writes: I am trying to find the origins of the barque "Arthur Pardew", built at Plymouth in 1855. Who were the builders? Is the day of the launch known? The "Arthur Pardew" was sold to German owners in 1873 and renamed "Betty". 29 SWMHS member Gary Hicks was able to provide full details by email and Dr Pawlik was able to fill in some more details for Gary to add to his own Plymouth Registers research.

This is an excellent example of how useful the internet can be for mutual exchange of information between widely separated researchers. It turned out that Dr Pawlik has for 30 years been researching the ships of Bremen and other ports on the river Weser, very much along the same lines as Gary's own research on the merchant shipping registers of the Port of Plymouth.

In Dr Pawlik's reply to Gary he wrote: When reading your lines, I feel almost as if they were written by myself – your approach to researching the shipyards and the people behind them is so similar to mine! Obviously we are kindred spirits in this matter! For those interested, Dr Pawlik's website is www.peter-michael- pawlik.de

Dave Hills [email protected]

30 SOUTH WEST MARITIME HISTORY SOCIETY Registered Charity No. 289141 (Updated 12.6.12) Chairman Martin Hazell 124 Molesworth Road Stoke Plymouth Devon PL3 4AH Tel. 07941 603097 /01752 550768 Email: [email protected]

Vice chair /Editor Jonathan Seagrave S.W. Soundings 10 Woodlands Rise, Downend Bristol BS16 2RX Tel: 0117 9566127 Email: [email protected]

Editor Maritime S.W David Clement & Monographs The Holt, Exton, Exeter, Devon EX3 0PN Tel. 01392 875604. E-mail: [email protected]

Secretary Peter Sims Coombe Rise Noss Mayo Plymouth Devon PL8 1EG Tel: 01752 872443 Email [email protected]

Acting Treasurer Dale Thomas ` 4 Clear View, The Narth, Monmouth, NP25 4QH Tel: 01600 860311 Email: [email protected]

Membership Gillian Seagrave (new/renewals/changes) 10 Woodlands Rise, Downend Bristol BS16 2RX (Tel: 0117 9566127 : note email/post preferred) Email: [email protected]

COMMITTEE Mike Bender, Julia Creeke, Michael Duffy, Maria Fusaro, Peter Ferguson, David Hills (webmaster), Mike Williams, Peter Skidmore, Will Stirling.

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