 Xylonite atMaldon, 2017 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name |
|
| Owner | F W Horlock, Mistley |
| Builder | Mistley Shipping Company[1] |
| Launched | 1926 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Sailing |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Thames barge |
| Tonnage | 68 GRT |
| Length | 86.95 feet (26.50 m) |
| Beam | 18.49 feet (5.64 m) |
| Draught | 2.98 feet (0.91 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails (Gardner 85hp 5 cylinder (5LW) aux.)[1] |
| Sail plan | Spritsail with bowsprit |
| Notes | Website:[1] |
Xylonite is one of sevenThames barges built between 1925 and 1930 for F W Horlock,Mistley. She was sold by the Horlocks in 1958 and cut down to a motor barge in 1958.Xylonite was re-rigged in the 1970s by Tim Eliff and replated on the 1980s. She has been used for sail training since 1983.
Xylonite is 86.95 feet (26.50 m) long, with a beam of 18.49 feet (5.64 m) and a draught of 2.98 feet (0.91 m). She is assessed at 68 GRT. She is built of steel, and while lacking the romance of a wooden ship, she has a greater cargo carrying capacity, and is lighter and cheaper to operate.[2]The nameXylonite derives from the original 1869 name forcelluloid.
In 1924 the Horlocks commissioned seven new steel Thames barges, of whichXylonite was the third. Six of these ‘seven sisters’ are still afloat:Blue Mermaid was lost to a mine in World War 2.[3] They were built at Mistley.
| Name | Active | Built | Tons | Official no. | Current owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repertor | Yes | 1924 | 69 | 145404 | David Pollock |
| Portlight | No | 1925 | 68 | 145405 | Landbreach Ltd |
| Xylonite | Yes | 1926 | 68 | 145408 | Chris Palmer |
| Reminder | Yes | 1929 | 79 | 161033 | Topsail Charters Ltd |
| Adieu | Yes | 1929 | 79 | 161035 | Iolo Brooks |
| Blue Mermaid | No | 1930 | 79 | 161038 | (destroyed) |
| Resourceful | No | 1930 | 77 | 161039 | I & R Stubbs |
| Ref[2] | As of 2016 |
Xylonite was built in 1926 and delivered to Frederick William Horlock,(F.W. Horlock) who owned her for the first ten years. On 30 October 1936Xylonite was sold to Marcus Frederick Horlock and Walter Richard Horlock. And on 31 October 1938 she was registered to M.F. Horlock and Company Ltd. Horlocks barges sailed under a blueburgee blazoned with a whitemaltese cross.[4][5][6]
She was sold in August 1958 to The Greenhithe Lighterage Company Ltd and the Tester family. She was cut down to a motor barge, with all rigging removed and a new wheelhouse. The rear hold was modified to take a diesel engine. She carried cargo until June 1977.[6]
From 1977 to 1984 she was owned by Tim and Brigid Eliff. They restored her to sail and rerigged her and she was run as a charter barge from the alongside the Prospect of Whitby pub in Wapping. She was chartered to Hoseasons, and carried purple colouredDuradon sails. The topmast was made from steel and would often buckle.[6]
For the next twenty-two years, from 1984 to 2007 she was run by theCirdan Trust, who used her to give sailing experiences to underprivileged children. This trust was run by Bill Broad, an Anglican churchman, his wife Daphne and John Corder Belfrage.[6] The barge skipperRebecca Polden and her partner bought her next, and did some serious restoration work and sold her on in summer 2011. They used her as a houseboat atMaylandsea.[6]
Tim Kent, a London-based photographer operated her between 2011 and 2016 on theMedway and theLondon River.[6]
She is currently owned by Chris Palmer and based in Pin Mill
The United Kingdom Official Number was 145408
A replica of theBlue Mermaid is being constructed, and she was launched 28 May 2016 for the Sea-Change Sailing Trust.[7][8] She will operate out of theHeybridge Basin.
