SB Cambria is a preserved spritsail barge used for sail training. She is owned and operated by the Cambria Trust, a registered charity under English law.
Cambria is a sister to the spritsail SB Hibernia which was lost off the coast of Norfolk on the evening of 9/10 November 1937.
Video SB Cambria
History
William built Cambria for £1895, whilst her sister barge cost £1905. She was also slightly faster than Hibernia and it came second in the coasting class in the Thames and Medway matches in 1906. "Brusher" Milton was her first skipper. He recounted one event, when she arrived in Dover, an hour ahead of a steamer which she had overtaken on her way up the Channel from the Solent. "We were doing nine knots", quoted on the steamer, "and we couldn't hold you".
She was the last Thames sailing barge, to trade entirely under sail, and was owned by Captain A. W. (Bob) Roberts. Roberts sailed the Cambria for more than twenty years, and gained a reputation for hard sailing and fast passages in other Everard barges.
Cambria's last mate was Dick Durham from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, with whom Bob carried the last freight under sail alone: 100 tons of cattle cake from Tilbury Dock to Ipswich in October 1970. Dick wrote Bob Roberts' biography: The Last Sailorman.
Bob Roberts sold Cambria to the Maritime Trust in 1971, for display at St Katharine Docks in London. But she was not looked after very well and in 1987, the Maritime Trust was disbanded. It was agreed that the barge was moved to the Dolphin Sailing Barge Museum at Sittingbourne and in 1996 she was sold to the Cambria Trust for £1.
On 6 September 2007, Cambria came to Standard Quay in Faversham for restoration and rebuilding after the Barge Museum was damaged in a fire.
Her funded restoration cost a £1.4 million with help from the National Lottery.
She was re-launched into the Faversham Creek on 23 March 2011. She then underwent sea trials and then re-fitting to prepare her for use in supporting local schools and social outreach programmes.
She won the coasting class in the 2011 Thames sailing barge match.
In 2012, the 82nd Thames Sailing Barge Match took place. Cambria won again and Edith May came fifth, behind Thalatta, Lady of the Lea and Pudge. Prizes were presented by Richard Horlock and special guest Griff Rhys Jones.
In 2013 another Thames Barge Match took place. Cambria came 1st in the Coasting class.
Maps SB Cambria
References
External links
- Thames Barge
- Cambria Trust site
- Cambria under restoration photo site
- The Barge Blog archive about Cambria
- Documentary about the Cambria narrated by Captain Bob Roberts
Source of article : Wikipedia
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