FOWEY CLASSICS 2012 Jul 31st - Aug 3rd
The 21st Anniversary RallyThe Gorran Haven Crabber Project
In 2006 the idea was conceived to enhance our Cornish maritime heritage by adopting the principle used in Brittany of building a new boat on traditional lines rather than perpetuating the expensive system of attempting to preserve old boats with their associated museum state of preciousness. In this way more use would be made of the boat and youngsters in particular would have the opportunity to experience first hand the sailing methods and boat-handling techniques of their forefathers.
As with the Bretons, the proposal was that it should be linked to a classic boat event. The concept was launched at Fowey Classics Regatta in 2006 and immediately taken up with enthusiasm by the participants.
Personal offers of funding had come immediately at the Classics regatta and by October 2006 it was apparent that the project was a viable proposition and Peter Williams at Bodinnick Boatyard was commissioned to build the boat.
The boat chosen was based on the lines of a nineteenth century Gorran Haven Crabber, the
‘Ellen’, which for many years had been based at Fowey.
Traditionally these crabbers operated out of the scarcely sheltered tiny harbour of Gorran Haven about 7 miles from Fowey, across St Austell Bay. They were worked under sail and oar in the strong tidal currents and rough seas close to the rocky shores of the Dodman Head, notorious amongst sailors as a particularly challenging sailing area.
The ‘
Elizabeth Ann’ as she was to become, is a seventeen foot open sailing boat with a spritsail yawl rig. She is similar to many of the hundreds of small inshore fishing boats which would have operated around our shores in the past.
‘
Elizabeth Ann’ was launched at Fowey Classics 2007 by the BBC TV “Spotlight” presenter, Victoria Graham, with live television coverage, on a beautiful August day with appropriate celebrations. Soon after that she was out sailing and has proved to be exactly what had been expected, a handy stable workable vessel with all the potential for teaching many of the long lost skills of handling such a boat.
Share and ownership opportunities in “
Elizabeth Ann” are available if you are interested in our maritime heritage. For more information on this unique project and when and where you can see “
Elizabeth Ann” sailing, please contact the Project Director Mike Prettejohn at email
mike@prettejohn.net.