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The last of the sailing coasters: Reminiscences and observations of the days in the Severn trows, coasting ketches, and schooners
Last of the Sailing Reminiscences and Observations of the Days in the Severn Trows, Coasting Ketches and Schooners
131 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
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September 2, 2024
The Last of the Sailing Coasters Edmund Eglington. HMSO 1982 Available secondhand for around £6-7 132pp. 18 bw photo’s.
This short book of reminiscences was published by HMSO in 1982, as part of a series called Recollections of Everyday Life. Oral and social history was just beginning to become more widespread, and Basil Greenhill nudged the author into setting down his extensive experiences In and around the West Country coast ,especially in the Severn estuary, from around 1920 onwards..
The adventures recounted stand out for the monotony and sheer hard manual work involved in sailing these little cargo vessels. Coal from Lydney was a major trade, and before WW 1, the only way of delivering to many coastal towns. Irish ports were a common destination.
I did find the account of entering Lydney harbour under sail personally fascinating as this is what my grandfather did regularly on Rosetta and Dido C, though with the latter he had the benefit of an auxiliary. I also recall going down the Shoots myself at considerable speed on an ebb tide, on board an old ketch, an exhilarating experience. He gives detailed descriptions of ship and sail handling, both the difficult harbour entrances, and handling in bad weather and after gear broke or failed.
The risks of sailing come across in the account of the loss of Renown from a snapped mast, and the Thomasine and Mary overwhelmed in a rough sea after the anchor chain snapped. He was lucky to survive both. These were elderly, leaky, ships the Thomasine was 79 years old, full of a cargo of bricks, which absorbed water and opened planks. This was despite a general policy of sheltering from really bad weather. He was also lucky to find a berth during the General Strike on the steamship Oxonian after the wreck of the Thomasine. But he was a lover of sail, and returned to it on the Lily, a tiny ketch owned by the comparably tiny Weston, Clevedon and Portishead railway, part of the empire of light railways operated by Colonel Stephens after W W 1. “ we were happy lads enjoying to the full the graced beauty of our little ship as she slipped through the water, her wake straight and true “.
The pay was low, though could sometimes be better than labouring on land. He gives detailed figures of freight and pay a number of times.
The Lily is helped twice by a tug when in difficulties because the skipper and Eglinton, the only crew, are seriously sick with flu, but without charge or claim of salvage.
As the twenties go on more of the ships have engines. These are very hard to start, he describes the Bolinder with its hot bulb heated by a huge blowtorch. Some he encounters don’t work at all. He generally dislikes them but acknowledges their usefulness. There was a distinction between small engines that just enabled entrance to the tricky harbours of the Severn, and larger ones that enabled faster passage in contrary winds. Cargoes though are hard to find and boats are laid up.
The discomforts weren’t just on deck, he describes the difficulty of getting rid of bed bugs from the nooks and crannies. Overall, the sheer hard work comes over well, but also the satisfaction of working these little ships. It seems he had a notably celibate existence, there is no mention of girls.
An appendix lists details of his ships, except the Sarah.
Along with Out of Appledore by WJ. Slade , Braunton Ships and Seamen by S.E. Ellacott, and the history of the Eilian by Jack Newcombe, it is a key part of the very small literature of the life of West Country coastal sailing seamen. Whilst this book is readily available, the others mentioned are much less accessible, being offered at collector’s prices online and not always available from libraries.
An essential read for those wanting a picture of coastal sailing life.
This short book of reminiscences was published by HMSO in 1982, as part of a series called Recollections of Everyday Life. Oral and social history was just beginning to become more widespread, and Basil Greenhill nudged the author into setting down his extensive experiences In and around the West Country coast ,especially in the Severn estuary, from around 1920 onwards..
The adventures recounted stand out for the monotony and sheer hard manual work involved in sailing these little cargo vessels. Coal from Lydney was a major trade, and before WW 1, the only way of delivering to many coastal towns. Irish ports were a common destination.
I did find the account of entering Lydney harbour under sail personally fascinating as this is what my grandfather did regularly on Rosetta and Dido C, though with the latter he had the benefit of an auxiliary. I also recall going down the Shoots myself at considerable speed on an ebb tide, on board an old ketch, an exhilarating experience. He gives detailed descriptions of ship and sail handling, both the difficult harbour entrances, and handling in bad weather and after gear broke or failed.
The risks of sailing come across in the account of the loss of Renown from a snapped mast, and the Thomasine and Mary overwhelmed in a rough sea after the anchor chain snapped. He was lucky to survive both. These were elderly, leaky, ships the Thomasine was 79 years old, full of a cargo of bricks, which absorbed water and opened planks. This was despite a general policy of sheltering from really bad weather. He was also lucky to find a berth during the General Strike on the steamship Oxonian after the wreck of the Thomasine. But he was a lover of sail, and returned to it on the Lily, a tiny ketch owned by the comparably tiny Weston, Clevedon and Portishead railway, part of the empire of light railways operated by Colonel Stephens after W W 1. “ we were happy lads enjoying to the full the graced beauty of our little ship as she slipped through the water, her wake straight and true “.
The pay was low, though could sometimes be better than labouring on land. He gives detailed figures of freight and pay a number of times.
The Lily is helped twice by a tug when in difficulties because the skipper and Eglinton, the only crew, are seriously sick with flu, but without charge or claim of salvage.
As the twenties go on more of the ships have engines. These are very hard to start, he describes the Bolinder with its hot bulb heated by a huge blowtorch. Some he encounters don’t work at all. He generally dislikes them but acknowledges their usefulness. There was a distinction between small engines that just enabled entrance to the tricky harbours of the Severn, and larger ones that enabled faster passage in contrary winds. Cargoes though are hard to find and boats are laid up.
The discomforts weren’t just on deck, he describes the difficulty of getting rid of bed bugs from the nooks and crannies. Overall, the sheer hard work comes over well, but also the satisfaction of working these little ships. It seems he had a notably celibate existence, there is no mention of girls.
An appendix lists details of his ships, except the Sarah.
Along with Out of Appledore by WJ. Slade , Braunton Ships and Seamen by S.E. Ellacott, and the history of the Eilian by Jack Newcombe, it is a key part of the very small literature of the life of West Country coastal sailing seamen. Whilst this book is readily available, the others mentioned are much less accessible, being offered at collector’s prices online and not always available from libraries.
An essential read for those wanting a picture of coastal sailing life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review