Thames Sailing Barges

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Anatol
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Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:13 pm

Thames Sailing Barges

Post by Anatol » Tue Apr 03, 2018 6:57 pm

Thames Sailing barge handy, seaworthy vessel that carried bulk cargoes in the shoal waters of the Thames Estuary area. Evolved in hull design and rigging from the 16th century, but by the mid-19th century, had become relatively standardized with sub-types designed for special cargoes and local conditions. Working vessels extinct since the 1950s, but some have been restored as pleasure and charter vessels. Majority constructed of wood, although some larger barges were of iron (the iron pots), Flat bottom; chines softened toward the ends; no keel but strong keelson; wall-sided, narrowing forward and aft to about one-third the extreme width; sharp, vertical stem (see also swim-headed barge); transom stern; very low freeboard. Undecked until the early 19th century; then decked with the main hatch abaft the mast; a 2nd hatch forward, both leading to the single hold; aft cabin with raised roof for skipper; crew accommodated in forepeak; low bulwarks. Large, broad leeboards with block and chain tackle falls that led to steersman; tiller until 1800s, then wheel; large, strong rudder. Primary rig was a sprit mainsail with a heavy sprit (spritsail barge);sail brailed to mast and worked by a winch; sprit might serve as a cargo boom. Some set a large square sail forward of the mainmast. Short mainmast stepped in tabernacle, about one-third from the stem. Working topsail to a long topmast, remained aloft(the topsail barge); one with no topsail was called a stumpy barge. A small mizzenmast, also in a tabernacle, was stepped just aft; set a boomed spritsail with its sheet rove through a block on the rudder to aid in heading up into the wind; earlier tiller-operated vessels stepped the mizzenmast against the rudderhead. Those with a boomed, standing gaff mizzen and somewhat smaller mainsail were called mulies, mulie barges, or overland barges; mast forward of the wheel. Two headsails, 3 if the vessel carried a bowsprit; the staysail barge hed no bowsprit. Except for the jib and fore topmast staysail, sails were tanned russet, black, or yellow after the 1st year. One type, the boomy, was gaffrigged. Most had a crew of 2; largest might use 4.Reported lengths 12-31m; e.g., length 24m, beam 5.7m, molded depth 2m; shallow draft. The design stamp is made after painting of William Lionel Wyllie:” Thames Sailing Barges” . Look at his other picture.

Uganda 1998; 3000s;Ms. Source: A Dictionary of the world’s Watercraft from Aak to Zumbra.
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Themse barge.jpg

aukepalmhof
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Re: Thames Sailing Barges

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:49 pm

Great Britain 1951 sg 510 which shows us a Thames barge and yacht off the White cliffs of Dover.
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1951 thames barge.jpg

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