- Dumaspittman🇺🇸Petty Officer 1st ClassThanks for the motor advice! I appreciate it!👍Like
- Brightwork🇨🇦CommodoreComingLike 3Liked by Dumaspittman and pressonreguardless and
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2,609 posts · Page 39 of 218In the 1940s and 50s, many traditional Thames Sailing barges were converted into motor barges. This is a model, based on photos and my memory of the 'Nellie'. The sailing barge 'Nellie' was built by Cremers at Hollowshore, Faversham in 1901,. She traded under sail carrying about 90 tons of cargo around the Thames, Medway and Swale until about 1952 and then had the gear taken out, a Chrysler Crown petrol/paraffin motor installed and carried on trading for some years owned by R.Lapthorne & Co of Hoo on the River Medway.. She was eventually sold out of trade and is now privately owned. She has been rerigged with a reduced sailing barge rig without a topsail. My model is based on a 30" barge hull from Dave Watts Mastman.
NOTE More information from Nerys - read on ........
Hi Phil,
I'll just add a little more information to that. I was Nellie's skipper in the mid 50's for a few years. We were based at Hoo on the Medway and carried cargoes around the Medway, Swale, Thames and Colne. Regular trips were such as ballast from Fingringhoe on the Colne to Hoo, sand from Upnor on the Medway to the Ford works at Dagenham, fertilizers from London to Faversham and Queenborough, wheat from London docks to Whitstable and more or less anything that could be carried between ships in the London docks to anywhere in the Estuary. We were paid by the freight. Half the value of the carriage charges going to the owners and the other half to the crew, shared 2/3 for the skipper, 1/3 for the mate, Then fuel and other expenses were divided up similarly.
Nellie, of all the barges I served on was the one I liked best. She was the smallest, but there was just something about her. However as a footnote, in the 1970's I built a forty three foot schooner rigged barge yacht in the same yard as Nellie was built.
- NerysFleet AdmiralYes, Nellie visited Buxton. We had been on holiday in the Lake District and on the way home, made a diversion into Buxton. We were made most welcome by the members we met and particularly by Phil and Graham. Enjoyed a nice little sail with Nellie. Made a pleasant interlude in an otherwise long 300 mile drive.
Cheers, Nerys - NerysFleet AdmiralThank you, Phil, for making the video of my little Nellie. Thought she looked really good.
NerysLiked by Dumaspittman
https://www.steamtugbrent.org/history...
This model belongs to Buxton Model Boat Club member Bob Armstrong.
- PeejaySub-LieutenantShe looks lovely, but, then again, I am partial to the older tugs.Liked by Aerostar55 and Dumaspittman
- BrightworkCommodoreNice work ... they all seem so frail at that stage.Liked by RonBMK2 and Dumaspittman
My dad made my Mom a great tugboat with this name back in the 1960's. We always had real boats, and the handmade and very detailed model would get pulled out of the dock box to get towed about while the barbeque was burning down. It got lost over the years and I have christened this beautiful ship in tribute to her. The curves on this tugboat are quite handsome and eye-catching from my rather jaundiced point of view. I can't wait to swing the compass, and run the measured mile with her. Peace to all my model boat enthusiast pals!
- Hhager2LieutenantI am in Toluca lake right now. Looking for a boat project at Ron’s hobby shop this weekend at Glendale CALiked by Dumaspittman
- DumaspittmanPetty Officer 1st ClassThere's a really great shop in Glendale, I think, called Harbor Models...they have a great website and they are the kind of shop I want to back up a semi tractor trailer up to and buy everything!