Information from Nerys -

In 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.

Albion on a windy day at Eaton Boating Lake, Norwich.
Also some larger Thames barges and a yacht from visitors from Brightlingsea.

With my boats getting routinely stranded in the middle of nowhere, I felt compelled to commission a rescue vessel and "Triton" was born. "Triton" is a Springer-type tug push boat. With a hull and superstructure consisting of an “Indiana” style command cabin, it was built using a pretty basic birch plywood American kit designed for swimming pool water polo. Kit altered to resemble a fictitious Salvamento Marítimo (Spanish Coast Guard) unit following Salvamento Marítimo’s actual boat markings. Equipment and deck layout inspired on actual Springer tug push boats supporting larger vessels and barges found in US and European ports and rivers. Model built during September – October 2015. Approx. 1/18 scale. Real life boat could be a 30-footer (9.14m) vessel. Equipped with 9v LED navigation lights and sound system. Powered by an HPI Racing 1145 Gt 550 Motor, NiMH 7.4v battery, a 3-bladed 44mm propeller, and a 6-12V 320A RC Ship & Boat R/C Hobby Brushed Motor Speed Controller.

Hi,
this is my last model, thames siling barge on its maiden voyage,October 2, 2016. Preparation for construction of barges - Fall 2013. I have not chosen according to what plans I will build. I bought plans for TSB Lady Daphne, finally I chose but I have other plans.
On the internet I found an information plan barge "Champion class" from H.I.Chapelle. Even though I had prepared and cut out the ribs on the LD (1:28, Loa 98 cm), I finally began to build a "Champion". Loa 110 cm.
More photos and a description to> http://barge.homeunix.org/index.php/home <
It still remains to be done many details - winches, dinghy, and more. Also, set the the sails just sewn just for a test.Everything I wanted to finish through the winter
Tom

Built from scratch from plans supplied by my hobby store. has a fully remote controlled operating "elevating wheelhouse" with scissor type lifting legs. operating nav lights, fog horn and twin radar units. Also has remote operated forward winches for attaching pusher barges to the bow pusher posts. fitted with twin kort nozzles, handles a treat, steers well and could certanly push more than 3 barges!