Cambria Trust

  • Home
  • About SB Cambria
    • History
    • Restoration
      • Restoration Team
      • Servicing and Shore-based Volunteers
    • About the Cambria Trust
  • Charter Cambria
  • Gallery
    • Recent Pictures
      • Sail Training
      • Education
      • Barge Matches
      • Charters
      • The Cambria Now
    • Past Events
      • Restoration Pictures
      • Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant
      • Old Cambria
  • Join Us
  • News
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
  • Useful Links
  • Contact

Locking Out

17th September 2013 By matt_care

Locking out
Locking out of St Kat’s at the end of the Classic Boat Festival

Cambria’s 8 days in St Kat’s is now over and Maggs Casey Kelly sends us this very nice picture of ‘us’ in the locking out. Maggs tells me she is sorry to see us go and we have certainly enjoyed ourselves, feeling well looked after and getting the chance to show Cambria off to way more people than would normally see her. I was there for the first weekend, of course, but Boss of Volunteers, Basil has now caught me up on the further adventures.

The remaining days of our stay were a bit quieter than the first mad weekend, with a footfall of around 60 on the weekdays and then some busy weekend days, when 700 souls came round each day, so that we estimate that well over 3000 people were shown around during the stay.

On the Tuesday our hold played host to the premiere of the latest Simon North (barge) film “Noble Life” which saw another 30-40 aboard and where plenty of copies of the film were sold. I have asked for one for myself and I will review that for you when I get my copy. Being the biggest vessel in the Festival and that having the biggest possible meeting-space, we also played host to a drinks party for all the boat owners in the Festival, apparently attended by 50-odd folk. I bet that was a bit crammed below decks but I understand they all had a good time and enjoyed their chatting and yarning.

Now it is all over and Ian Ruffles (Skipper) and the crew have sailed Cambria down to Gravesend Pier where they had the usual fun and games getting the anchor to ‘stick’ while they sorted out lines and came alongside. There is no bite on the river bed there and we end up paying out yards and yards of chain to try to create some friction while the barge drifts downstream on tide or wind, threatening to mix it with the mooring buoys. I gather we have 130 yards of dolly line and we needed most of that length this time to get a line ashore so that we could dolly-winch ourselves back upstream to the pier. The joys of engine-less barging. Fair play to Ian for knowing what to do!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: anchor, dolly line, Gravesend Pier, Ian Ruffles, Maggs Casey Kelly, Noble Life, Simon North, St Kats, stick

Facebook

Cambria Trust

4 days ago

Cambria Trust

Cambria Trust added 3 new photos.

Cambria is in the drydock at Fullbridge for a scrub and antifoul.
... See MoreSee Less

Cambria is in the drydock at Fullbridge for a scrub and antifoul.
View on Facebook
·Share

  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 5
  • Comments: 2

So beautiful. When she is in Dry dock like that you can really see the diferences between the Kent and Essex barges and the lines of construction. Is that the original Transom cos to me it seems a bit more angular. Wasnt she registered at Rochester originally? Or was it just that she was kept there(flags flying, she was lovely.)

4 days ago

1 Reply

Avatar

Here's one from the late sixties in upnor my dad repairing the rudder

Attachment4 days ago   ·  3

2 Replies

Avatar

Comment on Facebook

Cambria Trust

3 weeks ago

Cambria Trust

Cambria Trust added 3 new photos.

The baggywinkle has been fitted to the barge to stop the mains'l rubbing on the wire when brailed up
... See MoreSee Less

The baggywinkle has been fitted to the barge to stop the mainsl rubbing on the wire when brailed up
View on Facebook
·Share

  • Likes: 0
  • Shares: 3
  • Comments: 3

hah never found out that thats what it was called!

3 weeks ago
Avatar

Can I have a bit for the receding hairline!!

3 weeks ago

1 Reply

Avatar

took a few hours to make it

3 weeks ago
Avatar

Comment on Facebook

View on Facebook

Follow Us On Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Cambria Trust 2018 Annual General Meeting
  • Coverage in the Medway Messenger
  • Rough Passage by Brian Bridges
  • Medway Barge Match 2017 Report
© 32 Pilgrim's Way, Cuxton, Kent, ME2 1LG