Classic

[Sammo]

Noticed this out on the hard at Port Solent a couple of weeks ago and was intrigued,
Any of you gentlemen recognize her or her type.

 

[Mirelle]

She is a barge yacht, a type once popular on the East Coast, around 1900 or thereabouts, and mentioned by Maurice Griffiths in "The Magic of the Swatchways"

The hull form, with the hard chines carried right forward and aft is unusual, though, and she seems a bit narrow.

Not by one of the regular barge and barge yacht builders, I fancy.

 

[Peterduck]

Many of these were built by Frank Shuttlewood, in Paglesham, I think. However, his had a lot more shape to the bottom MG's 'Waterwitch' was his interpretation of this style of yacht.
Peter.

 

[Sniper]

Not the most elegant of hull shapes. There's been an absolutely lovely 1/2 size barge anchored at Pin Mill for the last week or so - called 'Whippet'. Does anyone know her? The proportions are just perfect.

 

[Kristal]

Barges and a half

I've seen Whippet a few times somewhere, I think. Another local barge yacht (or half-barge, as I think her owner calls her) is Armadillo. She belongs to a jolly good surveyor who knows all about wooden boats, based in the Walton Backwaters, so I'd imagine she's a pretty well-maintained example.

I've always fancied having a full-size barge, or at least having a go at one, but seeing as I do a fair bit of single-handed sailing, it probably wouldn't be practical (even in the ridiculously unlikely event of my being able to afford to buy and maintain one). My favourite quote about them is from the venerable late Bob Roberts, which, paraphrased, is: "I read once that a Thames barge could be easily handled by two men. The 'easily' part could well have been left out!"

/<

PS: Just had a quick Google search for Whippet, it turns out she has an interesting history and did not start life as a sailing barge, if I'm reading this right.

 

[Sniper]

Re: Barges and a half

That's interesting. That doesn't sound like the 'whippet' I've seen. Unless, of course, she has been remodelled and the swim head replaced with a more conventional bow. This was done to the 'Alice'.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: Barges and a half

"Armadillo" is a ferrocement sister ship to "Dinah". Very civilised sort of boat, complete with Rayburn!

 

[Tayra]

Whippet

If it the same barge the Whippet used to be what lightermen called a punt. If I remember she was 90 registered tons. She was used in the 60's to teach apprentice waterman & lightermen how to 'drive' (row) a barge with 'sweeps' (large oars) in the tideway, which was how they moved barges around before they had tugs. I have a pic somewhere of me doing just that in 1968 on her with about six other apprentices. Just another one of those skills that have been lost. Nice to know she is still going. Nah then not many people know that!!!