ONBOARD Getting afloat KITTY, LADY DAPHNE, BETULA
Three Thames sailing barges
If you’ve always hankered after being the owner and skipper of a Thames barge, now could be the time – broker MJ Lewis in Maldon, Essex, has no fewer than three on its books. Thames sailing barges open up many possibilities – as liveaboards, charter vessels or for sailing, as they were designed to do with crew of just two. The oldest, Kitty, at 82ft (25m),
was built in 1895, one of the 37 built by J & H Cann in Harwich, this one to carry cargoes of grain in the North Sea, a trade she plied until 1938. She’s undergone much work in the last decade and is now thought to be one of the finest of her type. She’s heavily built of pitch pine on oak and is being sold as an ongoing charter business with existing bookings. Her accommodation consists of ten berths in five cabins. Lying Essex, £250,000. The biggest of the three at 91ft
(27m) is Lady Daphne, built of pitch pine in 1923 by Short Bros Ltd in Rochester, Kent, and restored massively since 1996 in a continuing programme. During her winter 2010 refit much of her port side was replanked with new. Like Kitty, she races competitively in the East Coast
barge matches, races under sail that are pre-dated only by the America’s Cup. She’s also MCA coded, so ready to charter. Lying London, £175,000. Betula is a steel Dutch barge, built
by Gideon in 1924 in Groningen, Holland, and converted to a Thames barge later in life. Like the other two, she’d suit many roles, but would need MCA coding for charter work. She’s slightly smaller, at 77ft 5in (23.6m), sleeps eight in three cabins and has the potential for a large saloon in the main part of the cargo hold which is as yet unconverted. Lying Ipswich, Suffolk, £175,000.
To find out about any of the above, telephone: +44 (0)1621 859373 or see
www.mjlewisboatsales.com NORFOLK
Who’ll restore rescued 1898 Broads yacht?
When Broads yachtsman Andy Hilton heard they were going to burn the 1898 Vixen (right), a 28ft (8.5m) counter-sterned Broads yacht designed and built by H Press, he knew he had to act. Andy has already rescued her sister ship Damsel (left) in a restoration job that took many years and about £50,000, so he wasn’t going to let Vixen slip away. She’s now sitting on Andy’s front drive in Norfolk, waiting for the right saviour. Andy doesn’t want any profit from Vixen but would like to see £1,000 back, less than he has spent on transport and storage so far. If you’re in the market for restoring a very special 114-year-old Broads boat with much of her history intact, get in touch!
Tel: +44 (0)1692 582864 or email
gina@thehiltons.me 70 CLASSIC BOAT APRIL 2012
Above: Lady Daphne, built 1923 Right: Kitty, built 1895
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