The Cruiser Class held the first of their Winter Talks last Sunday. In the region of 60 to 70 members were enthralled with a most excellent presentation by Chris Martin from the Tollesbury Maritime Heritage Community Interest Company.

Chris spoke through a wide range of topics based on his experience as a Thames Barge skipper, a local historian and a trainer in boat building skills.  We learned how to tack a 130-ton Thames Barge singlehanded, a process which takes about 3 minutes.

We heard about the history of Tollesbury and it’s people, from Ancient Britons trading with Rome, through boat builders and smugglers of the 1700s, to Oyster fishermen leaving their fishing boats in the summer months for crewing the likes of the King’s yacht Britannia and the Endeavour Yachts for the America’s Cup in the 1930s.

Chris finished with a brief outline of the work he is doing with Circles Alternative Education, helping students acquire boat-building skills and experiences for future life.

The talk was followed by Simon’s superb Sunday Carvery

The next Cruiser Talk and Lunch will be on 9^th February when we have Stephen Nunn talking to us about the Barges of the Blackwater. An illustrated talk on the historic link between Maldon and the Thames Sailing Barge. This is a study of some of the surviving barges that can still be seen at the town’s Quay, sailing on the River Blackwater and taking part in the annual Blackwater Sailing Barge Match.