SB Lady Daphne
SB Lady Daphne in full sail
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lady Daphne (1900–25) |
| Owner | Sea Laurel Ltd |
| Operator | Sea Laurel Ltd |
| Ordered | David J Bradley, Rochester |
| Builder | Short Bros Ltd, Backfields, Rochester |
| Launched | 1923 |
| Commissioned | 1921 |
| Identification | United Kingdom Official Number |
| Status | Under restoration |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Thames barge |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 90.75 feet (27.66 m) |
| Beam | 21.38 feet (6.52 m) |
| Draught | 7.31 feet (2.23 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail and diesel engine |
| Sail plan | Spritsail |
SB Lady Daphne is a wooden Thames sailing barge, built in Rochester, Kent, Kent, England in 1923. She was used to carry various cargoes on the London River and along the Channel. She is infamous for sailing unaided from the Lizard to Tresco in the Scilly Isles, and safefy beaching herself in two foot of water on shelving sand.[1][2][3]
The barge
In the 1920's she acquired a reputation as "the fastest barge in the three channels".
History
Thomas Watson (Shipping) was a prominent barge owning company in Rochester, Kent. Brothers David J Bradley and Stanley Bradley joined the company as partners. Thomas Watson (Shipping) named their vessels prefaced by "Lady". David J Bradley commissioned her in 1921. She was built by Short Bros, who later went on to construct flying boats such as the Short Sunderland. She was one of the last sailing barges to be built from wood, but was built from a plan, (from lines) rather than laying off a half hull model. Lady Daphne was launched in 1923, and David named it after his new-born daughter, Daphne.
On Boxing Day 1927 the skipper was washed overboard and two crew abandoned her off the Cornish coast, but Lady Daphne, guided by the skipper's canary, sailed herself through the rocks of the Scilly Isles onto a few tens of yards of safe sand.[3]
On the death of David in 1928,[citation needed] she passed to his widow who transfered her in 1937 to R & W Paul, the maltsters from Ipswich. Lady Daphne remained with R & W Paul till her sale to Taylor Woodrow and St Katharine's Yacht Haven in 1973. She was sold to Elisabeth and Michael Mainelli in 1996 and later sold to Samantha Howe and Andrew Taylor in 2017
Thomas Watson (Shipping)
Thomas Watson (Shipping) ultimately owned 55 sailing barges and 39 coasters along the Medway and Thames. The firm closed in 2000.[citation needed]
R & W Paul
Media
The Queen Mother has visited her[citation needed]; numerous articles have covered her sailing ability[citation needed]; she has appeared in plenty of film and television shows[citation needed].
See also
References
- ^ Lady Daphne- Historic Ships UK
- ^ a b Underhill, Harold (1938). "III". Sailng Ship Rigs and Riggng (Second, 1958 ed.). Glasgow: Brown, Son and Ferguson. p. 73.
- ^ a b Cooper, F S; Chancellor, John (1955). A Handbook of Sailing Barges. Adlard Coles. p. 16. ISBN 0-229-64232-2.
External links
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