hope is on the horizon

Past

DAWN was built in 1897 for James Keeble , a Maldon hay and straw merchant and barge owner, and took the hay and straw to London for the city’s horses, returning with horses’ manure for the farms.

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PRESENT

The DAWN Trust believes it has identified how its maritime heritage can now be employed to serve the more isolated coastal communities along the Essex Coast & Rivers.

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FUTURE

The DAWN TRUST is engaged with a major regional University to design and develop an integrated electric propulsion system, that allows the boat to be operated electrically when wind is not available.

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“We are really pleased to be supporting The Dawn Sailing Barge Trust to safeguard the physical heritage of the barge and strengthen the trust’s connection with the local community ”

Robyn Llewellyn Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund

INSTAGRAM 1897DAWN

Cover Girl.

A pen and ink by Barry Pearce of SB DAWN in the 1987 Blackwater Race, a lot more wind than today !

Congratulations to everyone who took part today and battled with those light winds, some even had time for a quick swim while waiting for

SB DAWN’s Skipper ‘Hobby’ Keeble. c. 1940

He was her skipper for 30 years, remaining with her until she finished in trade.
His uncle Samual Keeble was her first skipper, whose brother James had her commissioned at Cook’s Yar

Always a cuppa and warm welcome awaiting you at @tillerandwheel aboard SB Edith May.

Enjoying an early morning brew aboard today at the Medway Barge Match.

Fingers crossed we should be out there next year with you.
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@l.march @_zoevictoria #

This eyrie image is a stark reminder of what SB DAWN’s future was destined to be if a determined group of people over the last 25 years had not undertaken the onerous task of saving her.
This is the easy part in many ways keeping them in a cond

Great to see that all is going well with bringing your special cargo to us.
Well done to all involved with this year’s harvest and sail cargo efforts.
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#newdawntraders @newdawntraders @raybelcharters @sailcargolondon @sailcargosouthendonse

Sometimes in life we think that new is best. This was the case when DAWN was rebuilt and the decision was taken to embrace the modern system of corking a deck.

Thirteen years of fighting deck leaks the decision to rout out the decks to receive the t

Going up to Marriages at East Mills from the Hythe, Colchester c.1949

DAWN built in 1897, continued in trade as a sailing barge until 1955. She was converted to an Auxiliary Sailing Barge and continued to trade.

The gear had to be lowered flat on t

Ventilation cowls for DAWN.
Was given the opportunity to remove some items from an old yacht before she was broken up.

It is not possible to save all of these old gals however by giving some of their fittings another chance of getting wet is a littl

Progress on the changes to DAWN are steaming ahead with lots of plans to improve her now she is completely sail powered. We are investigating many new technologies to help her go forward which will also allow making the most of latest findings in thi

If removing the engines wasn’t enough of a mammoth change to SB DAWN this winter we have also undertaken removing the old rubber deck corking from every seam. All the deck paint has been taken off and she is back to bare boards.

This system

Happy Christmas one and all x
Wishing everyone a safe and healthy festive time.
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#bkackwater #christmasdawn #dawn #keepsafe #blackwaterestuary #osea #boats #woodenboats #christmasday #whereeveryouare

Up at dawn this morning to finish putting the winter cover on SB DAWN.
Lots of jobs to get through this winter including deck seams.
Then down below we are reconfiguring the fore and aft cabins to increase the accommodation possibilities.
Now enginel

Snug as a bug in a rug

SB DAWN all covered up under her wonderful winter cover.

Now the winter’s program of works begins...

The decks have been sandblasted to allow us to address the age old problem of deck leaks.
Might keep the oiled deck l

#Repost @colmsphotos with @make_repost
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Dawn in the mist
#Dawn #mist #Brightlingsea #Essex #ThamesBarge #sailingbarge #barge

#Repost @l.march with @make_repost
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Today at 4.04pm Sailing Barge Dawns Engines closed down for the last time. This week they leave the ship and she is set on the road to becoming a proper Thames Sailing Barge. No longer a momento to 1970s Barge c

On Armistice Dat 1918 over 50 Thames Sailing Barges were moored up in Dieppe. They decorated all over with their pennants, name flags and code flags that peace had been declared after four hard fought years of the Great War.
The barges were the main

De rigging in the sunshine.
Lowering the gear today is a steady old job and is made easier when you have a good keen youngest who is quite happy to climb up and unstow the topsail.
Thanks @l.march for giving up your day to help with this important jo

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