A TradBoat
Source PageEach year restored Thames Sailing Barges take part in a series of races or barge matches sponsored by the Sailing Barge Association As many as thirty barges may compete in the various classes, including Champion Bowsprit barges, Fast Staysail (no bowsprit) and Slow Staysail classes. There are opportunities to sail in one of these races on board a charter barge, either with the Thames Sailing Barge Trust, or with one of several charter companies. Races are held on Saturdays throughout the summer.
Barge Match Dates 2011
Medway - 11 June
Passage Match - 18 June
Pin Mill Barge Match - 25 June
Blackwater Barge Match - 9 July
Thames Barge Match - 23 July
Swale Match - 6 Aug
Southend - 27 Aug
Colne Match - 3 SeptSailing Barge Association
Much useful information about barge matches including a section called 'Where to See Sailing Barge Matches.'
Organisers of the Barge Matches and the Championship.
For more details go here: http://www.sailingbargeassociation.co.uk/
Thames Sailing Barge Special Photo Collection
A collections of detail photographs for use by model makers. Click here
You are welcome to download any of these for your own use, but please do not use them for publication without first contacting TradBoat. Additional photographs are always welcome.
Association of Model Barge Owners - AMBO
Model Thames Barge Sailing Championships - (MTBSC)
Contact: Richard Chesney
Email: rchesney@tesco.net
Website: www.modelbarge.infoFor more details of the Association, and a list of Classes sailed together with sources of plans for model makers click here
Hosted on the Thames Sailing Barge Trust web site, the Forum is intended for general sailing barge issues - not just the barge club. A useful general site for barge people.
Contact: www.bargetrust.org/forum
Cambria was of course the last of the Thames
Barges to trade actively under sail, and many of us remember her skipper Bob
Roberts, who wrote a book about his life aboard and took part in a BBC
programme. Now restored by the Cambria Trust, she is undergoing
sea trials (2011) and hopes soon to be taking part in work to support
local schools and outreach programmes.
For details of the Trust and accessibility go here: http://www.cambriatrust.org.uk/
Society for Sailing Barge Research
Contact: John White,
Honorary Secretary
5 Cox Road
Alresford, Colchester
Essex CO7 8EJ
Tel: 01206 825317
Web: www.sailingbargeresearch.org.uk
A Society dedicated to researching all aspects of the Thames Sailing Barge
including the vessels, the the men who manned them and the ports from which they
sailed. The Society publishes regular newsletters. The magazine
"Topsail" is published annually and various books on Sailing Barge
Research are published through the auspices of the Society. For further details
and membership information please visit their website.
Thames Sailing Barge Heritage Centre
SB "Glenway" was at Dunkirk
The Centre is based at Maldon Quay aboard SB "Glenway", famous for her exploits at Dunkirk where she was abandoned on the beach, subsequently re-floated and sailed home by a band of soldiers. The Centre tells the story of the Sailing Barge from the early 1800s. There are some pictures in our Photo Collection
Venue
Cooks Barge Yard, The Hythe, Maldon, Essex CM9 5HN
Thames Sailing Barge Trust.
(Formerly the Thames Barge Sailing Club)
Web site: www.bargetrust.org
SB "Centaur" on the blocks.
Winter programme
During the winter members get together for
talks, a photographic competition, to organise open days and to exchange
research into the history of sailing barges. (There is a journal for
historical research and a bi-monthly bulletin.)
© Charles
Smith Publications 06 Jun 2011
