Tag: Medway Barge Match

Movements update

Cambria drifts aft from Gillingham Pier on the dolly line.

Cambria drifts aft from Gillingham Pier on the dolly line. Picture by Dave Brooks.

The following update on Cambria’s movements comes from Dave Brooks. We must also thank Dave for this lovely pic of Cambria leaving Gillingham Pier under sail power. The barge is here being allowed to drift aft on the tide while the dolly line, controlled by those new-start sail trainees from Rotary Club, keep the bow on station. When the bow has cleared the pier and the tops’l simultaneously set, the line is let go at the Pier and reeled in and the bow drops to starb’d to let the sail fill with wind. The crew quickly brail out some mains’l and we are under way. The trainees have her under sail, partly by their own efforts, within seconds of casting off which is always a complete thrill for them, and is poetry in motion for anyone on the quayside.

Dave’s update reads, “We have just completed a series of successful Rotary charters and have also competed in and won our class in the Medway Barge Match. We have also experimented with a new berth at Gillingham Pier and it has been a great success. It is really something to watch the barge arrive and leave under sail. We are very fortunate to have an extremely good crew as it takes a lot of skill to do this in an engineless barge.

We are also very pleased to welcome our new third hand Reggie who has been learning the skills of barging from Skipper Ian and Mate Dennis and coming on really well. He is also a big hit with the kids on the Rotary charters.
Cambria will now be going off on her Sea Change Charter and she will be competing in the Gravesend to Pin Mill Passage Match next Saturday. She will also be competing in the 150th Thames Barge Match which has additional significance that it is the Mark Boyle Memorial Match who sadly died late last year. Mark was instrumental in the Thames Barge Match and also in the Cambria rebuild. The match is on the 13th July and can ben seen from Pier Road Gravesend and at the finish at Erith.
It is expected that Cambria will be at Pin Mill again on the 5/6th July to be prepared for the above race.
A few changes going ahead with Cambria’s programme. She was expected to be in the Colne Match but has not been able to get a charter. She will now be entering the 50th Southend Barge Match (25th Aug). The whole match can be viewed from the end of the pier. We may have limited space available for the match. We will also be entering Swale Barge Match (3rd Aug) will advise of spaces for this match as I have the information.

Will advise of further activity later”

Thanks for that and for the photo(s), Dave.

 

Medway Match and Faversham Nautical Festival

aI am trusting that you have the following dates firmly written into diaries.

First up, THIS SATURDAY the 18th, the 2013 Medway Barge Match. There are some more details on the website http://www.repertor.com/match-dates.php but for now,

MEDWAY BARGE MATCH — from and to Chatham
· Sail 0800 · Start at Gillingham Pier, downriver to Garrison Point, out into the Estuary, to the Medway Buoy and back · Return 1600

There is loads more now on this within Facebook, if you are that way inclined as Dave Brooks has started a group / community called Medway Barge Sailing Match. Go look.

Says Dave,

“Confirmed entries so far (expected entries in brackets):

Staysail Class – Edith May, (Repertor, Niagara)

Coasting – Ardwina, Cambria, (Orinoco, Lady of the Lea)

Bowsprit – Xylonite, Decima, Adieu, (Marjorie)

Shaping up to be a good turn out”.

Also, Restored lightship LV21 will be open to the public throughout the day at Gillingham Pier, perfect for those who wish to view the start and then have a mooch about until the barges return and also HELP REQUIRED – do you know anyone who will be on Gillingham Pier on the morning of the match? We are looking for someone to sell barge match programmes on behalf of the Committee. Greatly appreciate any budding salesman or woman.

favnautfest

Faversham Nautical Festival Poster 2013. Supplied by Nathalie Banaigs.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND (25th and 26th May) is the Faversham Nautical Festival. Come down to the Creekside and see plenty of boat/sailing based activities, plus please come and visit our CAMBRIA STAND on Sunday 26th manned by our volunteer’s selling our merchandise.

© 2024

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑