Thames Sailing Barge Trust
What it's like to go weekend sailing
For a weekend sail, we individually join Centaur on the Friday evening. You will meet the Skipper and Mate who although fully qualified will both be volunteers giving up their time to help the Trust.
You will be shown round the barge, shown which cabin you will be sharing, and told the time of departure. You will then be free to enjoy the rest of the evening at will. We do not supply food for Friday night. But there are lots of places to eat at Maldon and Ipswich and often the crew will get together at a nearby pub for a drink and a meal.
There will always be someone sailing who knows the ropes and who will show you around and help you settle in.
Before we get underway there will be a safety briefing covering the do's and don'ts of barge safety, before moving on to the mysteries of operating the marine toilet. You will be shown how to put on a life jacket and told what to look out for on deck.
The mate will put together a galley duty roster so that everyone takes a turn to help with the cooking and washing up.
When sailing we encourage crew participation in all things. You will be given the opportunity to heave up the anchor and stow the cable, haul ropes and coil them down, to set and trim the sails, wind up leeboards, and to take a turn at the helm of the barge when conditions are suitable. However none of this is compulsory.
If your age or health or just plain inclination prevents you from taking an active part, feel free just to sit back and watch.
There is no experience required and no obligation to take an active part, except for a turn in the galley. We do not employ a cook, we find it's much more fun to do it all ourselves, thus keeping our prices down with the added bonus of getting to know each other at the same time.
So if you fancy yourself as a chef and want fourteen people to practice on, just volunteer to be in charge for Saturday dinner. You can let your imagination run riot, as far as stores will allow, and the Mate will be only too pleased not to have to detail someone.
Alternatively, if you are an early riser you could volunteer to cook the good old-fashioned full English breakfast we always provide.
A Typical Schedule
The tide goes right out at Maldon and the barge takes the mud, so we can only leave when we float, around two hours before high water. We either depart late Friday night or early on the Saturday morning. If high water is at night we usually motor a short distance to where we can stay afloat at anchor and then get some sleep before getting underway in the morning.
Although we have an engine that we have to use at times, we try to do as much as possible under sail, following the craft and traditions of the trading bargemen.
On a typical Saturday we will have an all day sail, weather conditions and tides permitting, before heading into a river to a pleasant anchorage. Then perhaps a trip ashore in the barge boat (life jacket compulsory) to the local pub, and back for dinner.
Although we do not supply alcohol and we do not encourage heavy drinking, we do not run a dry ship. You can bring along some beer or wine for an evening drink and after dinner I am sure you will enjoy the round the table conversation generated by putting together fourteen people from all areas and many different walks of life.
On Sunday, after breakfast we go sailing again, but where to and for how long depends on the tide times, wind force and direction.
The Skipper always has to bear in mind the need to arrive back home while there is water to do so, as we need to get people home so they can go to work on the Monday.
Once back alongside, after helping to stow the sailing gear and making the barge shipshape on deck you will help out in cleaning and tidying up down below. Then you will be free to say your goodbyes to the friends you no doubt will have made and will want to sail with again.
If you have any queries or concerns at all about your trip do not hesitate to seek advice, contact me by email
Sailing Trip Calendar with place availability
