The Cornish Maritime Trust.

June 08

 

Film on Barnabas History & Restoration

There will be a members' preview of the film Barnabas, A St.Ives Mackerel Driver, on Saturday 7th.June at 7.00pm at Bolitho School, Penzance. Entrance £7.00 to include refreshments afterwards. As space is limited entrance tickets need to be booked in advance and will be allocated on a first come first served basis on this occasion. To book please ring 01736 731612

Ellen

Ellen can be seen in Mousehole harbour where her good looks are attracting much attention. She had her first sail of the season on Sunday 1st.June in light airs which faded to nothing just off Lamorna. She had to be sculled home and was greeted in the harbour by reports that she had been tailed by a very large basking shark.

Barnabas is at Falmouth and is available to take out members by prior arrangement. Softwing will also be sailing on Saturday 7th. June. Trustees and Members are encouraged to join the vessels to participate on sailing days. Of course, everything depends on the weather! Tel: 01736 731228

Following up a proposal of some two years ago, the Sailing Plan for 2008 includes the participation of Barnabas in the Brixham Heritage Regatta on 24 May. Plans were made to sail there and return in two legs, calling at Fowey on the way up and Looe on the way back to Falmouth. Although there was some difficulty getting strong crews for all legs it was the weather than brought about the need to cancel. Persistent east and south east winds made the transit passages from Penzance to Brixham difficult, if not impossible. A decision was therefore made not to go to Brixham but to sail only as far as Falmouth, where the boat is participating in the Fal River Festival May 24th to June 1st.

On Wednesday, 21st. May Barnabas was take from Penzance to Newlyn in order to be able to leave on a low tide to make the tidal window around the Lizard the next day. Seven of us gathered at Newlyn and set sail at 1130. Winds were light and for a change, had a southerly and even westerly slant, which allowed us to sail as far as Porthleven. The weather was generally warm and sunny and we had a most pleasant coastal passage.

With the wind still light, but heading us we motor sailed to the Lizard and arrived just before five to enjoy the first of the strong spring flood. In spite of the light winds the tidal streams around the headland caused a little confused sea but we were soon round and heading for the Manacles.

On the last leg into Falmouth the wind fell away altogether and we took down and furled the sails, arriving in the port at around 2000. We searched in vain for the designated buoy and then went alongside the Water Sport pontoon to land our crew.

As always people remarked on Barnabas’ fine appearance with her long pennant flying. We stayed alongside the pontoon all night – probably not according to the rules – and then having ascertained the position of the buoy, went out to find it. We still could not find it but the boat is now securely moored to a buoy and available to participate in the Fal River Festival.

Barnabas at the World Gig Championships, Scilly Isles.

 

On 2nd. May with six members aboard, the lugger left Newlyn for the Scilly Isles at 0900. The wind was in the southwest and consequently adverse. She was tacked as far as the Land’s End, when it was decided to motor sail towards the islands. Arrival at Hugh Town, St. Marys was at 2030, where a mooring was taken for the night.

Next day we sailed to St.Agnes at noon, to enjoy lunch at the Turk’s Head, before heading across the Sound and across the Tresco Flats, under sail. We anchored off the quay at New Grimsby in the early evening.

The following day anchor was weighed and the boat taken under motor to Old Grimsby, where we secured to a mooring for a while before pressing on again. Reduced sails were hoisted as the breeze was fresh from the south and we headed off to the westward to enter the Sound via the western channel. This started as a brisk and truly wonderful sail with Barnabas sailing at her best. West of Mincarlo Rocks there was a choppy sea and moderate swell and we took down the foresail and motored in towards St.Agnes to be in time to catch the first of the gig races. As we neared the landing place on St.Agnes there was a grand sight with a huge fleet of colourful gigs, various yachts, the RNLI boats and overhead helicopters were flying. As the race towards Hugh Town started we were able to hoist our sails and with the long and colourful Barnabas banner flying at our masthead, we were able to keep abreast the fleet of gigs. On arriving at the finishing line the gigs all made for the beach and we found a comfortable berth alongside another Penzance based lugger, the Ocean Pride.

The domestic arrangements aboard Barnabas are really quite limited, as are the cooking facilities, but we managed and there was no shortage of entertainment ashore.

The next day, Sunday, 4 May, started with dense fog but this gave way soon to a warm and sunny day. After noon we moved out into the Sound and with light sail hoisted we were able to tack back and forth and watch the various heats and eventually both the finals of the women and men. The lugger was much admired by many who saw her with her lug sails hoisted and the Barnabas banner flying well.

After we had entered the port and gone alongside the other luggers once more we could see the gigs all drawn up on the beach and the prize winners being announced. We were all delighted to find that the Mount’s Bay men’s team had won the top prize.

On the return trip the wind turning to the east gave us some worry. We had arranged for an early start but woke at 0600 to find the port enveloped in thick fog. With no radar on Barnabas we arranged to sail back in the company of Grace, which had a radar. This was a great help as the fog persisted for nearly half the crossing to the Land’s End. We were then able to enjoy a moderate northerly breeze and to sail, with some assistance from the engine, back into Mount’s Bay. As we moved past the Runnelstone buoy the wind dropped and we motored the last ten miles to Penzance. A final pleasure of the trip was to pull aboard a fine catch of mackerel off Lamorna.

 

 

 

 

 

January 08

Book on Barnabas

The book on Barnabas, published by the CMT is available for £4.99 add £1 for p&p This gives general information about the Cornish fishing industry in the days when boats were worked by sail. It also gives the story of Barnabas from when she was built in 1881 up to the successful conclusion of her recent HLF funded restoration. Contact link

New Gallery Page

You will see that we have launched a new page of pictures of the restoration of Barnabas. Click on an image to enlarge.

New Membership Secretary

We are delighted to announce that we have a new Honorary Membership Secretary. Lin Marsh can be contacted for information and to sign you up as a new member on 01872 553481. Or email her on linandnick@tiscali.co.uk

New membership category

In order to facilitate visitors to Cornwall who may wish to sail in one of our boats but who are not here for long enough to justify becoming a full member, we have introduced a weekly membership at a cost of £7 plus a contribution towards the running costs of the boats levied at a rate of £3 for each half day or evening sailing trip. We hope members will encourage their friends to avail of this opportunity over the summer. Trip may be booked in advance through the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Barnabas

Barnabas sails on for future generations to enjoy and share.

Barnabas has undergone substantial restoration, which has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. On Wednesday 19th.October she entered Penzance Dry Dock. Assessment of her condition was completed when the garboards were removed to make all visible. The boat was supported by a cradle to keep the shape of the hull while the keel and framework were replaced. The new keel, 12” x 6” in section, made from a piece of oak 40 ft. long was fixed in position. Individual templates were taken for the oak floors. Once the new floors were in place they were bolted to the keel, some of the galvanized steel bolts being over 3ft long. Drilling these required great accuracy. The futtocks and top frames, which comprise each of the 25 oak frames, were shaped and bevelled by band saw to form the skeleton of the hull.

Barnabas was then fitted with a new stem and sternpost. They were let into the keel with pinned mortice and tenon joints. Some of the stern deadwood and for’ard knees were retained. The new deadwood, knees and aprons were fixed in place. White lead has been applied between all joints.

A boiler and steam box were brought on site in order to bend the beam shelf timbers and planking to the curve of the boat.The new beam shelf oak timbers were steamed and bent, clamped and bolted into position. Then re-planking began. This was a laborious process, with a template being taken of each plank which was then made out of larch and steamed, clamped and nailed into place. The two upper topside planks, the garboards and sections of the bilge planks, are made of oak. The rest are larch. Once planking was complete the hull was faired off, caulked and red lead putty applied to the seams and fixings. The original interior layout of the hull has been replicated. This is known from a plan in Edgar March, Sailing Drifters, 1952, from a drawing by P.J. Oke of the 1930s. It shows interior bulkheads to make the spaces for holding lines, nets and fish. There is a cramped area in the bow for the skipper and crew, usually 5 men and a boy.

Following a careful restoration using traditional boat building skills, Barnabas has now been returned to sailing condition. She was re-floated in the Penzance Wet Dock on a rainy Monday 10th.July 2006. There was great joy in the air as she returned to the sea to begin the next phase of her long life. Her many friends wish that as she sails on she will continue to bring pleasure and pride for future generations to share.

Sea trials have taken place and every indication shows that Barnabas sails beautifully. Her first voyage was home to St.Ives for the Boats in the Bay Festival last September. She is now in the Penzance Wet Dock. Find out more about Barnabas…

Visitors

Many CMT members and the public whose interest was generated by our display at the yard entrance and by news coverage, including several generations of the family of Barnabas Thomas (the original owner of the boat) arranged visits to the Dry Dock to see the work in progress. Falmouth Marine School brought fourteen students in February 06 and were so pleased that they returned with 22 more student later in the month. A schools project was set up with Helston Community School who visited with engineering, woodworking and media students. contact us.

The film

We now have over 40 hours of film footage taken, which covers all aspects of the restoration of Barnabas to date. This may seem like a lot, but for every hour of film taken about one minute of edited finished film will result! Thanks are due to Bob Cann’s men for explaining what they are doing and when interesting technical things are going to happen. The film will also include archive photos, which describe what it was like to be a Cornish fisherman in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. We have film of Barnabas sailing before the restoration and of course the sea trials and sailing once she was re-launched. At the moment the film is being edited and once finished we will produce a DVD which will be available to buy.

Photographic archive

All stages of the restoration have been recorded and an extensive photo archive now exists for future projects and research to avail of.

Softwing

Arrangements can be made with the National Maritime Museum Cornwall to sail Softwing from their pontoon throughout Summer (all weather permitting). A new category of weekly membership has been brought in to allow visitors to Cornwall and the Museum a chance to experience sailing on a historic Cornish working boat. See our sailing programme for more info

Ellen

Ellen is shortly to have work carried out on her transom. More information will be posted. Find out more about Ellen…