The hang of the sail - industrial "design" - # 175

I've always loved ships, harbours, canals and similar industrial scenes for the way that they show up fascinating shapes, angles and colours and project, (for me at any rate), senses of character and provoke feelings of nostalgia or portent. Digital photography has allowed this amateur passion to find some expression.

This is a photo of the hang of the huge mainsail on Thames Barge "Henry". It's the way it has to hang. That's how it is, but it's a working "industrial" function.

Thames barges, by tradition, all have - MUST have - red brick coloured sails. Seeing a half dozen of them out at sea, drenched in sunlight and under full sail is a special and very specific sight that is unique in the whole world - but now gone except for very special occasions.

P.S. Cick on the photo to enlarge it. You will be rewarded with the details of the stitching and edging of the sail.

Another kind of Henry - # 174

For those of you feeling relief that I have finally escaped from the surrealism of Henry's Bar, here is something that is, in my opinion, far more interesting. It's Barge Henry - a magnificent 104 year old Thames Sailing Barge. These vessels were still hard working cargo boats in the 1950s and I can remember seeing them out at sea when I was a boy. They still race, and a barge under full sail is a fine sight. Every sea-going nation has its typical hull form and rigging style. For example, The English Thames Barge could never be mistaken for a Dutch Canal/Coastal Barge. Their unique hull design and sailing rig enable them to slip up shallow rivers and estuaries and then sail out around the coast in deeper, more windy waters.

These ships were built and rigged so that they could be sailed by "one man and a boy". They carried cargoes of agricultural products, particularly barley, malt and beer around the east coast of England and as far as the Guinness brewery in Dublin over in Ireland.

The web sites here have some fine pictures of the barges under full sail and more about their use and history.

http://www.thames-barge-art.co.uk/Pages/Studio%202005%20promo.htm Fine Pictures/paintings

http://www.sailingbargeassociation.co.uk/ History and information

http://www.thamesbarges.co.uk/ Information about "Greta" built 1892 and still working as a tourist cruiser.