Here we present the NEMT Collection.

TO SEE THE REST OF THE COLLECTION CLICK “PREVIOUS ENTRIES” AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOATS PAGE.

The vessels detailed are those belonging to the Trust and associated vessels. “Associated Vessels” are members’ boats, boats whose owners have pledged that they will do their best to manage the restoration and preservation of the vessel in accordance with the “Barcelona Charter” – these vessels are indicated by an asterisk after their name. The owners have declared that their interest in each vessel is not for personal gain, other than the satisfaction gained in pursuit of its preservation, display and related activities. Though they do receive moral support from NEMT, they are entirely financially independent.

To see the photos enlarged just click on them once.

Christina is a sailing coble of the smaller “salmon boat” type. Though typical of the nineteenth century, she was built by Harrison’s of Amble in the 1970s for an enthusiast in South Wales. She was brought to the north east in 2003 and sails off the Tyne in the summer months.

Christina has no engine, in traditional manner, but can take an outboard motor in a well when wind is not co-operative.

Royal Diadem II is a general purpose motor coble with auxiliary sail. Briefly her history is:

Built by Harrison’s of Amble in 1948.

First owners William and Albert Silk.

First port Newton by the Sea, then Craster (same owners).

Sold to Boulmer where the owner was William Ralph Wood. The boat may have also been owned by James Carse at this same location, before or after Mr Wood.

Sold to unknown person at Blyth or Cambois.

Sold to Harold Chamberlain at South Shields.

Came into the ownership of NEMT in 2007

Registration number was BK255.

Original main colour was Valspar Indian Red.

Original engine was a Kelvin 12/14 petrol/paraffin, supplemented with main and mizzen lug sails.

New Kelvin P4 diesel fitted by R. Dawson and Sons at Seahouses circa 1960.

Golden Gleam was built in 1948 by Ralph Dawson of Seahouses, Northumberland, for a fisherman called Main Downey who lived in Boulmer.

The boat was a Northumbrian coble, 29 feet long, powered by a (secondhand?) BMC car engine, adapted for marine use. The vessel had a mast and auxiliary sail. She was one of the earliest boats built by Dawson’s and appears to have been a copy of the older cobles in use at that time. Dawson’s mainly built larger craft: ringers, seiners and trawlers; not many cobles.

Golden Gleam subsequently was sold several times, moving to Blyth, Sunderland and Cullercoats before becoming a pleasure craft at Redcar.

In 2000 Golden Gleam was purchased by an NEMT member without a fixed engine and rigged for sail. He has refitted her with mast, sails and rig in traditional local fashion as far as possible. The boat usually has an outboard engine fitted in a well near the stern. She is kept at Seahouses most of the time.

Though not an exact restoration, the vessel follows Northumbrian tradition as closely as can be achieved: painting scheme, rigging details, sails etc. being faithfully copied from local practice.

Golden Gleam is normally moored in the “Fluke Hole” at Seahouses during the summer months but is stored during the winter.

This is the former Tynemouth lifeboat, built in 1917. She was on duty from 1918 t0 1939 after which she was in the reserve fleet. In 1941 there was a disastrous bombing of the Tynemouth Lifeboat Station and Henry Frederick Swan returned to replace the bombed vessel until final withdrawal in 1947. In 1948 she was given to the 1^st Tyne Sea Scouts. Not long after she was sold to the 1st Alnmouth and Lesbury Sea Scouts who kept her until the 1960s. In 1963 she went to Wearmouth Schools as part of a nautical skills scheme under Durham County Council, who renamed her “Wearsider”. In 1972 she was sold into private ownership. NEMT bought her from an individual who had kept her at Lemington and transported her to a temporary storage site at Tyne Dock courtesy of Port of Tyne.

The restoration of the lifeboat started with it’s transportation from Tyne Dock to its present location in the NEMT’s premises in Wapping Street in South Shields. The lifeboat had to be lifted by crane (supplied by Reeds ) onto a transporter lorry (supplied by Gallacher Bros. of Annfield Plain) for the journey. Due to the length of the lifeboat and the transporter, it was not possible to deliver it to the riverside entrance of the NEMT premises so the lifeboat had to be lifted, swung and then lowered onto a cradle in the side road alongside the NEMT building. The crane then lifted the lifeboat over the top of the NEMT building before being positioned at the riverside entrance of the building.  With careful handling, the lifeboat was pulled into the NEMT building and now stands in its present position.

The first job was to lift the lifeboat up to a suitable height and  chocks inserted so that any work on the underside of the hull could be carried out safely. The vessel was subsequently stripped down and a detailed survey undertaken by boatbuilder Fred Crowell who prepared a work schedule.

The project is on hold until other restoration projects are completed and whilst funds are raised.

Highlights in the history of the Tynemouth Lifeboat:

“Henry Frederick Swan” 1918-1947

First Period of Service 16-02-1918 until 24-10-1939

On the night of February 13th 1918 the then Tynemouth Lifeboat “HenryVernon” was called out to a rescue for the last time.

At the time of this rescue a new motor-lifeboat for the Tynemouth Station was heading north from her builder’s yard on the Isle of Wight.

Work had started on building this new lifeboat in 1915 at the Cowes yard of S E Saunders. She was another 40ft x10ft 6ins self-righter, but was fitted with a Tyler C2 petrol engine, which gave her a top speed of 7.5 kts.

Built at a cost of £6,901, she arrived at Tynemouth on February 16th.

She had been provided as a result of a gift from a Mrs Lowe of Bath, formally Mrs Swan of Newcastle, and the boat had been named Henry Frederick Swan” after her late husband who had been prominent in the Tyne Shipbuilding Industry, and  who had also served as Chairman of the Tynemouth Branch of the RNLI for many years.

The “Henry Vernon” was transferred to Sunderland where she remained in service until 1935.

There was a period of nearly two years before the first effective service recorded  by the “Henry Frederick Swan” took place on December 30th 1920.

While returning to her home port of North Shields heavily laden with fish, the steam trawler “Current” developed steering gear problems as she entered the Tyne and she ran aground on the Black Middens.  Four of her crew managed to get ashore in the ship’s boat to get help, leaving one man on board.

“Henry Frederick Swan” slipped her moorings at 11.45 pm and managed to put four lifeboat-men on board the stranded trawler.  A kedge anchor was put out and the vessel was hauled off successfully early that morning at 5.30 am.

Rather than continue to keep the new lifeboat on permanent moorings and the crew having to use a boarding boat, difficult at some stages of tide and weather; discussions began in September 1919 with a view to housing her.

An existing boathouse was acquired from the War Office and adapted to take “Henry Frederick Swan” situated at Clifford’s Fort alongside the Tyne Lifeboat Society’s boathouse.

It was decided to keep the lifeboat on a trolley in the boathouse, but the trolley way leading to the water was leased from the Duke of Northumberland.

An electric winch was provided to haul the boat and trolley back into the boathouse.  The total cost of all this work came to £3,700.

On August 14th 1922 the “Henry Frederick Swan” was specially launched to take members of the newly formed Tynemouth Ladies Lifeboat Guild afloat for a short trip to sea, after which the Guild’s President, the Mayoress of Tynemouth Mrs. Alex Mitchell, together with the Honorary Secretary Mrs Jones and the Honorary Treasurer Mrs Steel thanked Major Burton and Coxswain Cowell, pledging that in addition to their fund raising efforts, members of the Guild would always be present when the Lifeboat returned from service to provide hot drinks and a meal for the lifeboat-men and for the survivors brought ashore.

The ladies were split into several crews, each with a Captain, and when the Lifeboat was called out on service, one or other of these ladies would be informed and her crew would go to the boathouse and prepare food and drinks for the return of the boat.

Although she was called out on service on a number of occasions in the intervening years, on February 13th 1931 “Henry Frederick Swan” recorded another effective service, being launched at 1.00 pm that afternoon after three cobles had been reported in difficulties off Souter Point in heavy seas in a north-easterly gale.

Upon arrival at the location no trace of the cobles was found so the Lifeboat made for Sunderland where all three cobles had just arrived safely.

Making her way back to the Tyne however, “Henry Frederick Swan” came across another North Shields coble “Irene” in some difficulty and escorted her back to the Tyne.

Later that year on 1st September “Henry Frederick Swan” was again launched at 8.50 am for an emergency call out to the Lowestoft drifter “Ex Fortis” having run aground at the end of the South Pier.  The Master of the drifter requested the lifeboat to put three of his crew ashore to obtain ropes, to be returned to the vessel, where work proceeded to re-float her un-damaged.

“Henry Frederick Swan” was again involved in a dramatic wreck and life saving on 25th February 1933 when that morning the Steam Ship “Eilandi” of London was driven onto the Black Middens in heavy seas and a south-easterly gale.

The Lifeboat was launched at 9.40 am and under the command of Coxswain Taylor; she dropped anchor close to the stranded steamer, veering down towards her to fire a line aboard, but the crew refused to leave the vessel by that means.

As an alternative method of rescue, with great skill and judgement the Coxswain manoeuvred the Lifeboat up to the weather-side of the steamer, the more sheltered lee-side being impossible because of shallow water.

Six men jumped down to safety in the lifeboat, but the Master and one crew member miss-timed their jump, falling into the sea, but were soon picked up and all were landed at 11.05 am.

On this occasion the RNLI made additional monetary awards to the lifeboat crew.

Called out many times in the intervening years, what turned out to be one of the last emergency call outs in her first long period of service took place on August 11th 1938 when she was launched at 8.25 am as a result of the Coastguard reporting a vessel ashore in thick fog at Souter Point.

She was the Lowestoft drifter “Young Man” found to have a serious list, but abandoned with the crew of ten nearby in the ship’s boat, picked up by the Lifeboat, to be put back on board the drifter and a kedge anchor laid out.

On the high tide at 3.20 pm the drifter re-floated and was subsequently escorted into harbour and to safety.

Sadly the last call out for the “Henry Frederick Swan” in her first period of service was a major tragedy for the RNLI, with considerable loss of life for lifeboat-men.

Shortly after 3.00 pm April 22nd the Cullercoats motor-lifeboat “Richard Silver Oliver” capsized whilst on exercise off Sharpness Point.  “Henry Frederick Swan” was launched immediately to search for survivors but non were found in the water. Of the ten men on board six lost their lives and their boat drifted ashore upside down in King Edward’s Bay.

Two days later, after she had been righted on the sands she was re-floated, and under her own power, but escorted by “Henry Frederick Swan” she returned to Cullercoats.

A very sad and poignant end to the first period of service, to be replaced by the “John Pyemont” a new more powerful boat on 24th October 1939, at which point “Henry Frederick Swan” was placed in the Reserve Fleet.

Henry Frederick Swan with the 1st Alnmouth and Lesbury Sea Scouts

The fishing vessel “Rachel Douglas” was built in 1947 for Jackie Baxter-Douglas and his brother Thom. They named her after their mother.

The Baxter-Douglases lived and worked at the north Northumbrian village of Seahouses and they had a vessel in need of replacement.  New fishing boats were in great demand after the war but engines were hard to obtain, however, William Weatherhead and Sons accepted the order for their yard at Eyemouth, some twenty miles up the coast, just over the border. Unfortunately, they could not provide an engine so the family’s old boat had to be sacrificed to provide one until such time as a new one could be obtained.

The Rachel Douglas was completed with the old Kelvin 44 engine installed and ready for launch. The builders had fitted carved nameboards with the name spelt wrong – not a good omen. The name was corrected and the owners and family were taken by car to Eyemouth intending to take the boat to its home at Seahouses. After leaving the harbour at Eyemouth the old engine failed and they had to return to port; repairs were needed and the family, instead of enjoying the voyage south, had to hire a taxi home. Matters were soon resolved and the Rachel Douglas started a successful career working seine nets and ring net out of Seahouses, whilst filling in with potting at times. During the autumn herring season the vessel would migrate to other ports with a partner boat to ring net for as long as good catches could be sustained.

A little while after completion a new engine was delivered and fitted, a Kelvin 88; no doubt substantially improving the boat’s power and reliability.

In her early days the Rachel was finished with all her timbers varnished above the waterline. After a time her galvanised iron nails started to discolour the woodwork, with dark staining along the grain, so in common with similarly finished boats she started to look untidy; she was then painted blue, picked out with white waterline, gunnels etc. Blue was the traditional colour for painted boats at Seahouses and continues to be the most popular finish there today.

Rachel Douglas gained the distinction of hauling the largest ever catch for a Seahouses boat, but not to the benefit of her owners. The catch was so large that the net could not be lifted or otherwise discharged. The full net was towed to Beadnell at high tide and lowered onto the sand; left for recovery at low tide. When the tide receded the huge catch was in a big heap within the net and crushed under its own weight, inaccessible for disposal and in no suitable condition for the market. A dead loss.

In 1963 Jackie and Thom looked for a larger vessel and obtained a larger ringer, Amalthea, from Campbelltown; Rachel Douglas was put on the market and sold to John Wilson of St Abbs, a couple of miles north of Eyemouth. John and his son Ian worked the boat for the next 39 years during which time she was kept smartly in her blue trim and continuing with her original registration BK231.

John and Ian made a few changes. They obtained a different wheelhouse, slightly longer, but fortunately in keeping with her lines; it is actually older than the boat, having come from another vessel which was being refitted with a new one. They also converted the Rachel to become a trawler, fitting her with rigging, deckgear and tackle for trawling the seabed. A newer engine was also fitted, a secondhand Gardner 6LXB.

The Wilsons retired from fishing in 2002 and Rachel Douglas was again on the market. Three fishing boat enthusiasts from Seahouses and Newcastle got together and formulated a plan for her acquisition and restoration. This really was intended to be a restoration – not a conversion or butchery as has happened so often when beautiful old vessels have been converted to sailing boats or “live-aboards”.

A small group of NEMT members purchased the vessel in September 2002 and a couple of months later she was moored in the St Peters Marina, Newcastle.

To undertake the extensive repairs that were needed they engaged boatbuilder Fred Crowell of South Shields. Fred is an outstanding repairer of wooden boats; he used to build them when working for Robsons of Shields, prior to setting up in his own workshop.

The owners and friends started work at St Peters on largely superficial tasks but they got into Fred’s in May 2003 for serious work, including re-nailing of the hull planking, reconstruction of the bulwarks including new capping rails, new masts, new fuel tanks, deck gear converted back to ringer gear, etc. Other demands for Fred’s slip precluded further work in 2003 but Rachel was back in 2004 to receive a complete new deck. In 2006 the last of the major work was completed when a reconditioned transmission was fitted and internal work carried out. This internal work included tidying up the original crew cabin with its four berths and some alteration to the fish hold, including two further berths, the fitting of a toilet and also a galley. Whilst some will say this smacks of a compromise or a conversion, it has to be said that it has been very responsibly undertaken, without damage to the integrity of the original vessel, the alterations being cleverly concealed behind the posts and removable fish boards within the hold.

Fred Crowell’s skill and his passion for his work is remarkable; he continues to take great interest in the old boats he has repaired. He was very tolerant of the sometimes demanding owners, their odd desires and their volunteer helpers, one of whom, Abiy Shiberu Zegeye, needs special mention. As a political asylum seeker he seemed oddly out of place at first but he soon became the leading volunteer; a merchant seaman with a real passion for boats and a remarkable capacity for hard work. He is now a UK citizen and working hard again as a full time seaman.

The vessel is restored to 1950s condition, and although a purist may query the secondhand wheelhouse, it has to be said that to replace it with a replica would be disrespectful to that wheelhouse’s historical worthiness in its own right. In fact the wheelhouse has been kept traditional inside – no fixed electronic equipment – it does have 1940s brass electrical switches, “Sailor” radio etc, though a couple of modern appliances can be plugged in for voyages.

After completion the Rachel Douglas visited a few festivals, including events organised by the North East Maritime Trust. The most significant trip has been to the Portsoy festival on the Moray Firth in 2007, after which she visited the Scottish west coast including the Crinan Classics Festival, crewed throughout by members of NEMT, with which trust the boat is closely associated. Unfortunately the dearth of suitable events within a short range of her current home on the Tyne, together with the high cost of fuel, has frustrated the team’s desire to appear in public more often.

The team that formed around Rachel Douglas has grown and moved on to further projects celebrating the fishing boats of the era from the end of sailing to the introduction of steel boats – a major sector of our maritime heritage, one that has been almost entirely neglected.

Rachel Douglas is managed and funded by our associate body: Northumbrian Fishing Heritage Trust. She is normally moored in St Peters Basin Newcastle when not touring.

In Seahouses about 1950

Peggy was built by Harrisons of Amble in 1924 for stock but soon found a buyer, one of the Hall family of Beadnell. She was sold to Robert Rutter of Seahouses and at that time carried the number BK7. Later she moved to Amble and became Glad Tidings BH177. Her last port was Hartlepool, from where she was bought by an NEMT member. Now she has been extensively restored with much work being undertaken by Fred Crowell in his workshop in South Shields.

Favourite was formerly a seine net fishing boat, built in 1947 by Walter Reekie at St Monance in Fife.

She started her working life at Castletown, Isle of Man, in the hands of Jackie Maddrell and his sons; she was then known as “Margaret Anna” and carried the number CT101. The stay on the island was not long for she was soon at Amble, Northumberland, in the hands of the Handyside’s, with the number changed to BH35. In the late 1960s she was bought in a run down condition by Bill and Michael Robson and taken to Seahouses, being renamed “Favourite” with the number BK11. They undertook a lot of work and altered her configuration from that of a centre wheelhouse with large stern well to the conventional arrangement she has today. They also replaced her original Kelvin engine with a Gardner 5LW. After 20 years she was sold back to Amble as BH49 and worked there briefly before purchase by Peter Nisbit of St Abbs. He cared for her for the next 33 years. During his ownership she was numbered LH149. He also made changes including fitting a Gardner 6LW engine and rigging her for trawling. Prior to then she had been rigged for seine netting, as well as being able to work pots etc.

In February 2006 her working life came to an end but her rarity was recognised by members of NEMT; being one of perhaps only half a dozen survivors of her type. Favourite was restored in 2007 under the supervision of Tyneside’s last wooden boatbuilder Fred Crowell, in his boatyard at South Shields. After sixty years of heavy usage there was substantial work to be undertaken including replacement of several frames, beams, planking and deck, together with mechanical work. Fred has worked tirelessly carrying out the skilled work whilst guiding the volunteers undertaking less exacting restoration tasks.

The restoration has been done to 1950s standards with the minimum of modern equipment or techniques.

Favourite is managed and funded by our associate body: Northumbrian Fishing Heritage Trust. She is normally moored in St Peters Basin Newcastle when not touring.

Unloading in Seahouses during the 1960s

Favourite entering the Tyne

She was built in the 1970s by Harrison’s of Amble for a fisherman working from Amble harbour. Her earlier name was Acclaim. It appears she was never registered on the fishing boat register as boats used for salmon fishing did not need to be.

At 26.5 feet in length she is smaller than the cobles used for more general purposes though at one time there were many others of this size.

During the 1980s Acclaim was sold to South Shields owners. After passing through several hands she was renamed Mary Young and eventually purchased by a member of NEMT.

This was built during the early part of 2009 for the Customs House “Coat for a boat Project”. Picture shows the hull about half way through being paneled. The were 40 panels in the completed boat which was made in 4 sections so that she could go upstairs in the exhibition room.  Once installed there  she was covered in knitting and did look impressive.

Subsequently Salma’s Dream was launched and proved she really could sail.

Further appearances followed at London’s Crystal Palace and Harrogate. She has stolen the show wherever she has been seen. Unfortunately Salma’s Dream is only available for viewing when on tour.

Knitting and Stitching show Palm Court Alexandra Palace 8th / 11th Oct