Barges on the Blackwater Video

Bigplumbs

Bigplumbs

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I have never been there before so me and Her indoors had a little Jaunt out to Heybridge Basin today. I was very pleased to see these two beauties sail by.

I was wondering if someone on here knows the owners and could let me know who they are so that I can alert them to this video as they might like to see it

 
MoodySabre said:
I’m surprised there are so many boats in as I thought they had closed for visitors this year. I’ve missed not going there this year.
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As I understood it, they were full of winter visitors when lockdown started and they could not leave thus leaving no room for visitors when things started to get back to what passes for normal. They would also have difficulty meeting distancing rules in the toilet/shower block.
 
I know little or nothing about the subtleties of the Spritsail rig, but I don't understand why both of them have their topsail set, but the main brailed up, or partly brailed up. I'd have thought that it would be better to lower the topsail and use the full main, especially as both had their jibs set. Can someone better informed about the subtleties of sailing barges enlighten me?
 
AntarcticPilot said:
I know little or nothing about the subtleties of the Spritsail rig, but I don't understand why both of them have their topsail set, but the main brailed up, or partly brailed up. I'd have thought that it would be better to lower the topsail and use the full main, especially as both had their jibs set. Can someone better informed about the subtleties of sailing barges enlighten me?
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It's all for show, didn't they have the engines running?
 
It will be a matter of what they are doing. They quite frequently drop down river very slowly and come back on the same tide: AIS shows that was what they were doing today - well as far as Thistle is concerned. A typical trip can be a wedding or an anniversary group and while they come down Collier's Reach they will be on deck with Champers. They always loose topsails if the wind serves off the Maldon Quay. The topsail picks up some wind from over the town/buildings etc and then with a group of guests who are for a event rather than sailing, they will jog down river like that. When turned to come back I would expect them to loose the mainsail. I doubt they would be using the engine if they can avoid it.

Returning to the Quay is well worth watching: heading up river, dropping the anchor to do a 180 degree turn and move gently into the Quay is well worth watching.
 
AFAIK they are subject to Board of Trade, or whatever it is called these days, restrictions on what sail can be carried depending on the number of passengers. We had a trip on the Thistle some years ago and our numbers were restricted to 12 so that the full rig could be used. The block on the mainsail horse could be lethal in a gibe. With larger numbers topsail and jib is allowed, and full capacity engine only. This may be out of date though.
 
With large numbers on board then it is safety first - a full mainsail carries the risk of hitting people or sweeping them off the deck. A very small number of barges (Thistle and Hydrogen are two) have MCA tickets which allow them to sail with up to 40 passengers and as it is generally considered bad form to return with fewer passengers than you have embarked, it is rare to set a full mainsail for that reason. There is no legislation that covers this, just Skippers judgment.

The topsail is a very efficient sail for the reasons that Roger mentions above. It Is also a very quick and easy sail to get rid of when coming alongside - let go halyard and sheet, haul in clewline and it is gone in 30 seconds. (it is also a very safe sail with passengers as everything is well above head level) The main, on the other hand, takes rather longer to stow with several sets of brails to be hauled in, although It is not uncommon for barges to sail with the main dropped out just to the sprit without the mainsheet being attached as a passenger friendly way of setting a bit more sail.

The ‘bible’ with regard to the handling of barge sails is Fred Cooper’s ‘A handbook of sailing barges’ - probably out of print now but worth looking out for secondhand.
 
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