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Towpath Tales: Sail of the century

IT HAD all seemed so easy up until now. I’d had the tiller in my hands and was steering Albion along the River Bure quite comfortably. But now we’d reached an open stretch of river where the wind could catch her great black sail, and we no longer needed the small tender with its outboard nudging us along from behind. Now suddenly the tiller required a gargantuan effort to push it over. No power-assisted steering here!

“Try and keep her away from the bank,” advised skipper Henry Gowman. We had a couple of reefs tied in the sail as it was, so I had to conclude that I probably wasn’t built for sailing wherries. And to think that in their heyday, these boats were crewed simply by the skipper and a boy.

Albion is very nearly the last of around 300 or so trading wherries that once plied the rivers of the Norfolk Broads. Before the railways came along, they were the prime means of moving goods around. Their unique design included a counterbalanced mast situated well forward so it could be collapsed in under a minute to enable her to glide beneath bridges over the rivers, and a gaff-rigged sail which could be set high to catch the wind above the trees.

The last time I saw her was before the winter in 2009, when she was about to undergo the last in a rolling 10-year programme of repairs. Now she’s back in commission, and I’ve joined her on a special outing to celebrate the culmination of the £200,000 restoration project. She positively gleams with new bright red paintwork, and for a grand old lady 112 years old, she’s looking in excellent health.

Imposing sight

Built in 1898 in Oulton Broad, 60 feet long and weighing 23 tons, with 1500sq ft of black sail, Albion was originally sailed by a crew of two, delivering coal and crops to Broads villages. But by the turn of the last century, wherries were already in decline. She was rescued in 1949 by a group of enthusiasts looking to preserve an example of a wherry before they were all lost. As it happened, the one they chose was unique. Albion was the only carvel construction (flush planking) wherry ever built – all the others were traditional clinker (overlapping planks).

For the first few years they tried to keep her going as a cargo boat, but it proved uneconomic, and she was converted in much the same way that other cargo wherries had been 50 years previously, with the hold cleaned out and rigged to take passengers on early Broads holidays.

Now owned by the Norfolk Wherry Trust, she has been taking groups out on charters on a regular basis ever since, thrilling not just those lucky enough to be on board, but anyone else who happens to see her under sail. It’s the most imposing sight, without a doubt. The name Albion has resonance with the ancient poetic name for Britain, inspired, apparently, by the whiteness of the cliffs of Dover. In a moment of whimsy, I wonder if there’s any connection with the large white spot painted on her bow, intended to improve Albion’s visibility to oncoming traffic.

Special brew

In fact, our celebration outing is something of a multiple whammy. Every year, National Historic Ships, the organisation responsible for our historic ship heritage, holds a competition for ‘Flagship of the Year’. Albion was entered, and while she didn’t win, for the first time ever a runner-up certificate was awarded – to Albion. Tying all this neatly together is the Green Jack Brewery from Lowestoft. They have just brewed a special ‘Albion Mild’ in support of the Albion, and I am to sample the very first production on board. This really is pushing the boat out!

The day is perfect – bright and sunny if a little on the chilly side, with puffy white clouds in the sky and a decent breeze to give Albion a chance to stretch her legs on our journey from her base in Ludham to Horning and back. Before we set off, we’re shown how to reef the sail, tying reef knots as they were originally intended, to secure the rolled-up lower section of the sail. “They should lie flat if you’ve done it properly,” I’m told.

We don our lifejackets, and Henry gives us a safety briefing. There are points we need to remember about the way various bits move, and of course we have to be doubly mindful of the fact that Albion was built in an age long before the health and safety culture. Our Honda-powered dinghy nudges us along Womack Water and out onto the River Bure, where before too long we’re under sail and marvelling at the unobstructed views over the surrounding marshes. Not unexpectedly, we’re also gaining admiring glances and waves from passers-by in their pleasure cruisers.

It’s like that all the way to Horning, where we tie up at the sailing club, and a magnificent lunch appears, courtesy of The Galley delicatessen. And then comes the grand unveiling of the first ever Albion Mild. Described by Green Jack as a 4 per cent ABV full-bodied mild, sweet and malty with a dry finish, it certainly complements the fine selection of cheeses we have in front of us. Better still, I have a few bottles to take home!

Crossing paths

The journey back goes all too quickly, but we do get one delightful moment where we cross paths with another classic Broads boat. Next door to Albion’s base at Ludham is Hunter’s Yard, which houses a fleet of historic 1930s wooden yachts, all available for charter. Approaching us is Lustre, a sloop-rigged, carvel-built mahogany yacht dating back to 1932.  She’s a lovely looking boat. Interestingly, there are now one or two modern boat builders emulating the style of the classic Broads yachts, which I guess is the best compliment that can be paid to their timeless beauty.

But for just a moment there are two passing boats with a combined age of 190 years. So maybe it’s not so much sail of the century, but nearly two!

Words & Photography: Clive Tully