Welcome to the April 2024 Maritime Heritage Trust e-newsletter.
As the only national membership organisation for the maritime preservation sector, we support our members – individual ship owners and small voluntary groups – in caring for the UK's rich maritime heritage and building a strong future for historic vessels.

We look forward to bringing you news from our members, updates on our special events and all things maritime heritage in the UK and beyond.

Want others in your MHT member organisation to recieve our e-newsletters? Contact development@maritimeheritage.org.uk to subscribe.

We've had an exciting start to the year with the launch of our new series of Virtual Member's Talks.

In January, we kicked things off with a talk from Dr. Toby Jones, Curator of the Friends of the Newport Ship who demonstarted how advanced three-dimensional digital recording and modelling technologies have helped create a comprehensive and accurate digital data set that will enable the team to reassemble and display this rare mid-15th Century Clinker-Built Merchant Vessel.

Earlier this month, our second event welcomed John Puddy, Chairman and Martin Kemp, Trustee of the Steamship Freshspring Trust to present on their efforts to harness virtual reality and games technology to bring ss Freshspring to new audiences. 

Members and Friends can join these events for free and rewatch them via our Member's YouTube Channel. You can also rewatch all our previous webinars on YouTube including 'New approaches to funding maritime heritage' and 'Would your maritime heritage organisation stand up to scrutiny?'. Visit our Events page to check out our full list of online talks.

Want to join our next talk? Become a Member or Friend today.

Exeter Heritage Harbour has launched their new website (exeterheritageharbour.co.uk) and an exciting programme of events as part of their upcomg Heritage Harbour Festival, June 7, 2024 - June 9, 2024.

This hugely popular event will be returning to Exeter Quayside to celebrate their maritime history and Heritage Harbour status. Activites across the weekend will include RNLI 200th Anniversary celebrations, visiting vessels including steam boats on the river and canal, courtesy of The Steamboat Association of Great Britain, lectures, nautical-themed film screenings, a ride-on railway, children's activites and much more!

Could you be a visitng heritage vessels to the Quay and Canal?

Exeter Heritage Harbour are committed to encouraging more awareness of maritime heritage in Exeter and the surrounding area. This means ensuring vessel owners know Exeter is a viable option to visit, so that the harbour can truly support operational boats.

From the entrance at Topsham Lock and all the way up to the Basin, Exeter Canal is a beautiful stretch of water to visit by boat. The Basin itself is a hub of activity, with numerous cafes, shops and bars. It’s a perfect place to draw attention and gather interest in your vessel - be it a charter boat, project-based, or for personal use. 

If you’re interested in visiting Exeter with your vessel, please contact Hannah Hurford at hannah@exetercustomhouse.co.uk to discuss options.

'We work alongside the Harbourmaster’s office to ensure smooth access and sailing up the canal. We can also discuss options to visit both Topsham and Exmouth. We will do our very best to accommodate, wherever possible. We’d love to have you!'

Check out https://exeterheritageharbour.co.uk/.

A captivating film exploring the art of ‘engineless sailing’ has premiered at the National Maritime Museum and now embarks on a 3-month sailing tour onboard a Thames sailing barge crewed by youth trainees.

Film Synopsis

Wind, Tide & Oar is a compelling exploration of engineless sailing and the lives of those who navigate the seas relying on the natural elements alone. Shot on 16mm analogue film over three years, it follows a diverse array of traditional boats, delving into the rhythms and motivations of sailing engineless, taking viewers on a mesmerising journey across rivers, coasts, and open seas, spanning the UK, the Netherlands, and France. The film serves as a contemplative space, addressing themes such as ecology, mental health, heritage, traditional skills, and maritime history. Using a 1960s hand-wound camera, Wahl offers a poetic and intimate perspective on the ancient craft of harnessing the wind for travel, inviting deep reflection on our relationship with the natural world, where sailing becomes a place to explore our interaction with and responsibility to the environment, and the world around us.

The Sea Tour | April – July 2024

Wind, Tide & Oar embarks on a unique journey along the Southeast coast aboard the Thames sailing barge Blue Mermaid. Crewed by young trainees of the Skippers of the Future project, the tour offers free film screenings, Q&A sessions, and school workshops showcasing traditional maritime trades in ten ports along the Suffolk, Essex & Kent coastline. Audiences are invited to watch the film in the immersive setting of a traditional sailing vessel.

Click here to see the complete tour list and book your tickets.

The Land Tour | July 2024 Onwards

The film will screen in venues across the UK, including museums, galleries, cinemas, yacht clubs and more. Details TBC. The organisers welcome suggestions of locations to screen the film.

The Book

The New Menard Press has released an accompanying book, delving deep into the conversation between sailor, boat, and elements, exploring the essence of engineless sailing, available in all independent bookshops.

Contact Rose Ravetz: windtideandoar@gmail.com / 07549085449

For film teaser, longer film synopsis, and additional information, visit: www.windtideandoar.com

Boatbuilding. Conservation. Historic vessels. Jobs. These are the murky, complicated, fascinating themes explored in the latest espiode of the Off Watch Podcast hosted by Hannah Hurford and Jess Clay. 

Victoria Wallworth, our own MHT Development Manager and NHS-UK's Policy, Projects and Course Manager joins the Off Watch Gals for a 2-parter where they delve into heritage vessels, what we can do with them, and how to engage more people in this wonderful world.

Excellent news for MV Balmoral and her team who announced this month they have been awarded a grant of £248,318 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Their project “Save MV Balmoral for Bristol and Beyond” is also a tribute to all the hard work put in by her volunteers, partners and Trustees over the period since the ship last sailed - and of course her loyal donors - in keeping the ship well-maintained, alive and a welcoming and visible asset to Bristol and its harbour. 

The grant is particularly welcome for assisting confidence-building. It covers funding for people and events that will allow the charitable company to maintain Balmoral’s role as “the People’s Liner”:  inspiring education and in reaching less advantaged communities in Bristol. 

It will also allow trustees to dry-dock the ship in order to check, repair and repaint the hull and service the through-hull valves etc., ensuring the integrity of the ship for at least another 5 years. The work is taking place within the historic dry dock right alongside ss Great Britain in her own historic dock. Great Britain’s managers are encouraging their visitors to use their viewing area overlooking the Albion Dockyard where work on Balmoral - a historic vessel from another generation - is taking place. This positive physical work shows the benefit of retaining an operational dry dock and engineering skills within Bristol’s Heritage Harbour.

Other activities will follow including celebrations for Balmoral’s 75th birthday. The ship will be actively engaged in the Bristol Harbour Festival from 19th to 21st July 2024, with many young people having made cardboard boats on board. They then race them in the iconic “Cardboard Boat Race” which is run by Balmoral and attracts teams to Bristol from across the UK! 

Please help support this vessel for future generations to enjoy the sights, sounds and experience of this vintage vessel, aspiring to provide the pleasure excursions that we all love.

Follow her progress on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.

https://www.thebalmoral.org.uk/

You can support MV Balmoral by donating for her dry dock. Visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/drydockbalmoral.

From 14-22 September 2024, London's Open House Festival will open up and celebrate the city's architecture, special places and neighbourhoods, with free open days and events taking place across all 33 London boroughs. 

Taking part is ss Robin, the world’s last surviving complete Victorian steam cargo ship now located at Trinity Buoy Wharf. Walkways which will allow access to the vessel are now bring put in place.