Albion (wherry)
Encyclopedia
The Albion is a Norfolk wherry
. Built in 1898, she served as a trading vessel and then as a lighter
until being acquired by the Norfolk Wherry Trust for restoration and preservation in 1949. Since 1981 she has been moored at the Norfolk Wherry Trust wherry base at Womack Water near Ludham
. She is listed on the register of National Historic Ships in the United Kingdom
.
built (smooth hulled) whereas all others are clinker
built. Apart from her hull construction, her general appearance follows that of a typical trading wherry with a forward counterbalanced mast of Oregon pine, a large cargo hold in the centre of the hull and crew quarters aft
. She is steered from a small aft well
by rudder
and tiller
.
Albions registered tonnage is 22.78 and her length over all is 65 ft (19.8 m) with a 58 ft (17.7 m) hull. Her beam
is 15 ft (4.6 m) and she draws
4 in 6 in (1.37 m). Her mast is 42 feet (12.8 m) tall. Her sail area is 1200 square feet (111.5 m²).
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Albion was built by William ‘Billy’ Brighton at his shipyard
on Lake Lothing between Oulton Broad
and Lowestoft
for W.D. and A.E. Walker a firm of Bungay
maltsters. She cost £455 to build and was launched in October 1898 in a livery of green with a brown oxide top. Her crew consisted a man and a boy.
Albion was nearly lost in January 1929 when she sank near Great Yarmouth Bridge
but was raised 3 days later. She had a further mishap in 1931 when she lost her mast but had it replaced with that of the wherry Sirius. Shortly afterwards she was bought by the General Steam Navigation Company, who changed her name to Plane and appointed a new master, George Farrow, who remained with her until the Second World War
when she was stripped down and used as a lighter
. Albion was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 148735. Although designed to carry 36 long tons (36.6 t) of cargo, she is recorded as carrying 41 long tons (41.7 t) of cargo on one occasion. In normal service, Albion made 3 to 5 kn (5.9 to 9.8 km/h), with 7 to 8 kn (13.7 to 15.7 km/h) being considered her normal maximum. It is rumoured that she achieved 9 to 10 kn (17.6 to 19.6 km/h) in a race on Breydon Water
when her mast snapped.
In 1949 she was acquired by the then newly formed Norfolk Wherry Trust who renamed her back to Albion, restored her and operated her full-time as a trading wherry until 1953 when, unable to support a full-time crew, Albion’s hold was swept out and she spent summers as a crewed charter
accommodating groups of young people sleeping in hammocks. She continued to ply as a trading wherry however after sinking a further two times it was recognised that this was economically unsustainable and in 1961 the Trust decided that Albion would never carry ‘dirty’ cargo again.
In 2010, Albion was awarded the runner-up position by National Historic Ships in their annual Flagship competition. An award of £250 was made to the Norfolk Wherry Trust in recognition of this. Albion flew a pennant during the 2010 season denoting this achievement.
Norfolk wherry
The Norfolk wherry is a type of boat on The Broads in Norfolk, England. Three main types were developed over its life, all featuring the distinctive gaff rig with a single, high-peaked sail and the mast stepped well forward.-Development of the wherry:...
. Built in 1898, she served as a trading vessel and then as a lighter
Lighter (barge)
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps," with their motive power provided by water currents...
until being acquired by the Norfolk Wherry Trust for restoration and preservation in 1949. Since 1981 she has been moored at the Norfolk Wherry Trust wherry base at Womack Water near Ludham
Ludham
Ludham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, in The Broads, at the end of a dyke leading to Womack Water and flowing into the River Thurne...
. She is listed on the register of National Historic Ships in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Appearance
Albion’s construction is unique amongst Norfolk Wherries as she is carvelCarvel (boat building)
In boat building, carvel built or carvel planking is a method of constructing wooden boats and tall ships by fixing planks to a frame so that the planks butt up against each other, edge to edge, gaining support from the frame and forming a smooth hull...
built (smooth hulled) whereas all others are clinker
Clinker (boat building)
Clinker building is a method of constructing hulls of boats and ships by fixing wooden planks and, in the early nineteenth century, iron plates to each other so that the planks overlap along their edges. The overlapping joint is called a land. In any but a very small boat, the individual planks...
built. Apart from her hull construction, her general appearance follows that of a typical trading wherry with a forward counterbalanced mast of Oregon pine, a large cargo hold in the centre of the hull and crew quarters aft
Aft
Aft, in naval terminology, is an adjective or adverb meaning, towards the stern of the ship, when the frame of reference is within the ship. Example: "Able Seaman Smith; lay aft!". Or; "What's happening aft?"...
. She is steered from a small aft well
Cockpit (sailing)
In the Royal Navy, the term cockpit originally referred to the area where the coxswain was stationed. This led to the word being used to refer to the area towards the stern of a small decked vessel that houses the rudder controls...
by rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
and tiller
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever attached to a rudder post or rudder stock of a boat that provides leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder...
.
Albions registered tonnage is 22.78 and her length over all is 65 ft (19.8 m) with a 58 ft (17.7 m) hull. Her beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
is 15 ft (4.6 m) and she draws
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
4 in 6 in (1.37 m). Her mast is 42 feet (12.8 m) tall. Her sail area is 1200 square feet (111.5 m²).
History
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
on Lake Lothing between Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad
Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...
and Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
for W.D. and A.E. Walker a firm of Bungay
Bungay, Suffolk
Bungay is a market town in the English county of Suffolk. It lies in the Waveney valley, west of Beccles on the edge of The Broads, and at the neck of a meander of the River Waveney.-Early history:...
maltsters. She cost £455 to build and was launched in October 1898 in a livery of green with a brown oxide top. Her crew consisted a man and a boy.
Albion was nearly lost in January 1929 when she sank near Great Yarmouth Bridge
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
but was raised 3 days later. She had a further mishap in 1931 when she lost her mast but had it replaced with that of the wherry Sirius. Shortly afterwards she was bought by the General Steam Navigation Company, who changed her name to Plane and appointed a new master, George Farrow, who remained with her until the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when she was stripped down and used as a lighter
Lighter (barge)
A lighter is a type of flat-bottomed barge used to transfer goods and passengers to and from moored ships. Lighters were traditionally unpowered and were moved and steered using long oars called "sweeps," with their motive power provided by water currents...
. Albion was allocated the United Kingdom Official Number 148735. Although designed to carry 36 long tons (36.6 t) of cargo, she is recorded as carrying 41 long tons (41.7 t) of cargo on one occasion. In normal service, Albion made 3 to 5 kn (5.9 to 9.8 km/h), with 7 to 8 kn (13.7 to 15.7 km/h) being considered her normal maximum. It is rumoured that she achieved 9 to 10 kn (17.6 to 19.6 km/h) in a race on Breydon Water
Breydon Water
Breydon Water is a massive stretch of sheltered estuary at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England. It is at gateway to the Norfolk Broads. It is the UK's largest protected wetland. It is 5 km long and more than 1.5 km wide in places...
when her mast snapped.
In 1949 she was acquired by the then newly formed Norfolk Wherry Trust who renamed her back to Albion, restored her and operated her full-time as a trading wherry until 1953 when, unable to support a full-time crew, Albion’s hold was swept out and she spent summers as a crewed charter
Yacht charter
Yacht chartering is the practice of renting, or chartering, a sailboat or motor yacht and travelling to various coastal or island destinations. This is usually a vacation activity, but it also can be a corporate event....
accommodating groups of young people sleeping in hammocks. She continued to ply as a trading wherry however after sinking a further two times it was recognised that this was economically unsustainable and in 1961 the Trust decided that Albion would never carry ‘dirty’ cargo again.
In 2010, Albion was awarded the runner-up position by National Historic Ships in their annual Flagship competition. An award of £250 was made to the Norfolk Wherry Trust in recognition of this. Albion flew a pennant during the 2010 season denoting this achievement.
| Name | Dates |
|---|---|
| Jimmy Lacey | 1898–1900 |
| Jack Powley | 1900–c1920 |
| George Farrow | 1931–c1940 |