Lighterman Tom

Mike Dawson contacted our Facebook page to let us see this lovely old British Pathe film of Robert Layton singing “Lighterman Tom” in 1933.    There are references to “Tilbury Town”, (of great interest to me), and shots of Thames barges on the river.   What a lovely old film!

Here’s the link.

 

A new chapter for Decima?

News today that sb Decima is up for sale.   The Apollo Duck website has an advertisement from MJLewis Boatsales of Maldon offering the 1899-built Thames sailing barge for sale at £160,000.

Decima off Southend Pier, Southend Match 2013.

Decima was built by FG Fay & Co of Southampton, being one of twenty identical steel barges built by the company for EJ Goldsmith’s of Grays, who traded her until the late 1940s.   The 67 ton, 85 foot barge’s history includes ownership by Rayfields of Gravesend, and then Greenhithe Lighterage as a motor barge.

She was sold out of trade to Dennis Wildish in 1977 and he re-rigged her as a charter barge. In 1999 she was sold to Jeremy Taunton as a houseboat.

Master shipwright and well-known sailing barge restorer Tim Goldsack, her present owner, bought Decima in 2003 and started a major restoration.   She was gutted and a substantial number of the hull and deck plates were replaced. She was given a new set of rigging and good second-hand sails.   A new Gardner 6LXB engine was fitted.   Decima has three cabins, with six berths, and central heating was installed when her owner lived aboard her for two years.

In July 2004 Decima set her sails for the first time in over 15 years, and has since been seen regularly around the East coast.   She has recently been based at Heybridge Basin, and in 2010 Wilkin and Son Ltd of Tiptree, Essex, (the famous makers of jams, marmalades, and conserves), became her sponsors.   Consequently the Tiptree logo has been displayed in her topsail.

According to the advertisement Decima is now at Faversham.   Here’s the link to the advertisement on the Apollo Duck website.

Thanks to the Decima website for the following interesting titbits from her history:-

“Things have not always run smoothly for Decima.   She has had many mishaps in her long history.   Most notably in 1938, during a severe gale, her crew abandoned her off Great Yarmouth, and she sailed herself across the North Sea to Holland!   She was relatively unscathed, and was returned to England where she was repaired and returned to work.   On November 17th 1940 she was swamped and sank whilst at anchor off Southend pier with a deck cargo of timber.   She was re-floated, refitted, and once again was put back to work!”  

New barge film project – about sb Victor

A new specially-produced video series has started on Shipping TV.   Called “A year afloat with Victor”, it will follow sb Victor during 2015, which marks her 120th year.

The first part, filmed on 14th January 2015, has just been published.   It shows a trip for a group of RSPB birdwatchers who board at Harwich.

Here’s the link to Part 1.