THAMES BARGE-RACING REVIVED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 139, 2 September 1927, Page 10

THAMES BARGE-RACING REVIVED

THIS YEARS FINE CONTEST

T»HE FOLLOWING is an interesting and amusing glimpse of a barge race on the Thames, described by a writer in an English paper.

Miranda—the beauty of her class. All the barges were carrying what was described as the best of their ordinary sail, but they were permitted a large crew, the coasters having a master and five hands and the river barges a master and three other hands, instead of a master, a mate, and a hand in the former and a master and a mate all told in the latter. Readers of Mr Jacobs’s romances will be chagrined to know that there were no boys and no dogs visible, not even in the committee boat, but many of the blue-clad men in the latter wore cabbage roses, carnations, and other fine products of their gardens. Boys, however, could be discerned on the three sail of hay we passed off Leigh, the boys being perched top of the hay, signalling directions to the steersman below, whom the hay prevented from seeing. It is impossible in a reasonable space to describe the innumerable events, expedients and counter-exped-ients, feats of forethought and calculation, readings of wind and tide and currents in varying channels, cunning use of old experience on a surface flood and an under ebb, and all the devices of these skilly skippers inspired by the Thames lore of generations after generations of Thames seamen. They are an old, old race, the bargemen of the Thames, some of them going back probably to the old Danes who sailed up this wide estuary with its low-lying hills to sack the hoards of the London merchants. Fanciful speculation is evoked, for instance, by the names of two of the skippers to-day; the master of the Varuna is H. Daines and the master of Challenger is H. W. Dane.

The great thing about the Thames sailing barge match is that although you must be keen enough to catch a train to Gravesend at about eight in the morning you may return t.o town fulfilled and satisfied and yet not know which was the winner. Indeed, you may never know, and yet have enjoyed one of the purest pleasures of the London year. No one in the London Belle to-day (redolent in every way of the London ’nineties) could tell when the last Thames barge match was sailed. Some said 190 S, the last date under the present controlling committee, others counted the matches run under another committee up to 1914, but it was clear, at any rate, that this was the first match since the war, and the entry of seven coasting barges and 14 river top-sail barges was the best turnout in river memory. The committee steamer was well crowded, mainly by elderly men with a curious family resemblance in their brown, fine-skinned faces, mostly with steady blue eyes and heavy, well-bal-anced figures that moved with youthful quickness when there was occasion for it. It was probably the most critical, technical following in any sporting event. They were mostly barge-owners or skippers and their connection and retired skippers of barges.

Short, Hoarse Cheers. The front of Gravesend was crowded j with riverside people watching the course when we left and when we returned. and there were black groups at points all down the river, and all the barges at anchor were manned by bargees, who stood like little black fences on the deck and gave short, hoarse cheers. One barge sported a winning flag of 1900. All through the race liners and tankers and tramps and coasters passed up and down on their lawful occasion, and when an Esthonian, Diesel-engined, four-masted, passed along one had a feeling that the whole world was looking on. Workaday barges were often running along beside the racers, the only difference being that, they had no bowsprit, and sometimes showed emotion, even under the stern eyes of their owners in the committee boat, that they were not participating. Incidents happened, however, beyond human control. Off Southend, for instance, a new leader was suddenly discovered in the race, heading the two big white-hulled Everard coasters that with Cambria were well ahead of the procession. And who should it be but Queen of Colchester in workday trim that had been heading up river, but could not be out of the fun, and had put about, and for a bit was drawing away from the resplendent leaders, flying jibs and all! In vain would stevedores at Brentford he waiting for Queen, now heading for the Mouse Lightship. And did her owner on London Belle rebuke her? He did not —except, perhaps, when Queen lost her full press of the fluky wind and began to drop behind. Red-Capped Bargees. But the genuine competitors in the race have not yet been recorded. The seven coasting barges made a noble squadron. First came Cambria, of 79 tons, an older type, manned by a complete crew of North Essex men who had never yet been beaten. Then Ethel Everard, of 157 tons, manned by Lower Essex men from Tilbury and district, and Fred Everard, of 149 tons, manned by Cockneys all (as the Essex men called them). The Everard barges were of a new steel type carrying about 300 tons deadweight, with a steering cab with white roof, all smart as 3'achts. The crews of the coasters were dolled up in white, with red stocking caps, or white caps, and altogether beautiful, as became the best school of seamanship in Europe. Dreadnought, Gwynhelen, Northdown, and Scorn, all smaller craft, were the other coasters. The famous Challenger of Chatham, built with an eye for barge sailing, which won the flag in 1877. did not race, but one always expected her to butt in and show the young Tins how j to do it. In the river class there were I several veterans, including Gazelle, of I 42 tons, and Daisy Little. Yacht names I have crept in, Satanita, Veruna, and

It is enough to say chat the big barges had it their own way before the wind on the 30 miles run down to the Mouse, travelling sometimes up to 11 knots, the ebb tide contributing two. On the flood coming back in the north-west wind it was a beat all the way, and the river barges with their mobility and greater freedom in manoeuvring overtook their big sisters, and when we came ashore at Gravesend Harold Margetta, a 44-63 river barge, of the Associated Portland Cement Company (I. Waterhouse, master), was well ahead, with Port Light, Daisy Little, and Vanina well up, and Cambria leading the big barges.

Shaving the Mouse. The great moments of the day were at Mouse Lighthouse as the procession went about. They say in the Norfolk Broads that a good skipper can, as he puts about, nick with his bowsprit the watch and chain of an elderly gentleman watering his roses in his garden, but that may be only a tale for the marines. The Mouse was beautifully shaved in this race as the barges came round. Here the big ones were at a disadvantage, wonderfully handled though they were. Fred Everard was round first, with Cambria close behind. Ethel Everard had difficulties with her jibs and foresail, and had to pay off to set her flying jib again. Miranda was neatest, spinning round sweetly and away. Northdown also came prettily round, but Gwynhelen got a very good word as she came round carrying all her sail, taking a wide circle to ease the strain on the topmast of her flying jib. Some thought the topmast would go in the strain as she went into the wind—a delicate piece of work. But her skipper gauged rightly, and the jib quickly began to draw, and she forged ahead, with Ethel Everard’s men still setting her staysails. It was a lovely sjgiiL on itus perfect June day over the grey waters as the big barges with their red sails and white flying jibs began to work upchannel on the flood, with the small barges pitting all their skill and nimbleness against them. So they went back in the drooping wind, with fluky patches everywhere for lucky bargees, and when we reached Southend the small ones crept ahead, but the race was still anyone’s, with Cambria standing well up. When we reached town we learnt that the unconquerable crew of Cambria had hoisted the championship flag for the coaster class. Ethel Everard was second and Fred Everard third. Harold Margetts kept her lead and won the champion flag and the cup for the river barges, with Port Light second, Varuna third, and Daisy Little fourth. 1 A great day’s sailing^