Golden Fleece

David Fisk

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Way back on16th march 2006 Timcowen asked for history of the Thames barge Golden Fleece if Tim is still reading this forum and anyone else is interested I suggest the following is worth a read . See link https://www.colchesterrecalled.co.uk/transcripts/Colchester Recalled Magazine No 2.pdf
Published in 1997

COLCHESTER BARGES
I have been shown issue No I of "Colchester Recalled" by a bargeman who used to be Mate on
Francis and Gilders barge LADY HELEN which often traded up to East Mills. I enjoyed the
memories of Bill Warner and thought you may be interested in a few notes.
Should Bill Eves surname be Eve? Several bargemen of that name were on the Colchester
and Maldon sailing barges. The GOLDEN FLEECE is extant and lays under the wooded foreshore
at Pin Mill on the River Orwell, Suffolk her hull is now in a state of neglect after being a
housebarge for nearly fifty years. I expect she will soon be broken up. Outside a cottage on Maldon
Hythe sits her old iron steering wheel, a reminder to Doreen the lady of the house of the time her
father Tom Simmons was her young master. She used to go away on her father's barges, with Betty
and her other sister, her mother Rosie and Flossie the dog. Tom Simmons became Harbour Master
at Colchester before retiring. His younger brother Clarie was skipper of GOLDEN FLEECE during
the war. I'm not sure that the GOLDEN FLEECE would carry as much as 130 tons - she is only a
small barge and would be nearly sunk with 120 tons. When wheat was shot into the hold, the crew
shovelled the sloping heap under the side decks, mast deck and cupboard aft to fill every space to
get the quantity below the hatch covers as described - a very dusty job.
 

tjbrace

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Golden Fleece is alive and well in West Mersea, but it isn’t a barge. It is a refurbished IOR racer at 40 something feet from the S&S drawing board.
 

Ink

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Its just that you have the wrong boat. No one disputes that old knackered wooden IOR boats are classic. The OP clearly mentioned that the vessel he was referring to was a barge. So try and keep up.

Ink
 
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