Raybel nears the blocks

“One sixty-fourth” - Final stretch in our fund raising call.

Traditionally the ownership of ships was split into 64 ‘parts’, a standard that still applies in maritime law today. It’s a tradition which may go back to Venetian seafarers – and perhaps originated even before then, when wooden sea going boats had 64 rib hulls. Though there other theories – that of one hundred shares the State took 36, as a tax. Or so it could requisition the boat in war time.

As likely, the origin is because of the simple maths – 64 shares meant it was easy to sell in batches of 2,4, 8 or 16.

Funding the Raybel restoration has been a similarly multi-strand affair. We’re grateful for the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has provided a ‘Round 1 Pass’ towards the main bulk of the restoration costs, as well as the heritage and community activities we’ll be running. We’re still waiting on the final HLF decision, which will come in the middle of June – but all is looking positive. Other funders we must mention are Swale Borough Council and Kent Community Fund – thanks to you.

With this support, we are pleased to be into the last stretch of our fund raising. But, as a final task ... we do need to raise some extra money to match the NLHF grant. This is where the modern equivalent of the 64 share system comes in – with our crowdfunding campaign that launches today on the Crowdfunder site.

This gives all of our supporters – you! – the chance to be a bigger part of our adventure. All sizes of donation are possible, and the campaign will be live for the next four weeks.

There’s much more about it on our Crowdfunder page, including details of rewards we’re offering – name-a-ship’s-timber (64 available, as a nod to the tradition), vouchers for sail cargo products, and the chance to be on Raybel for one of the early sails, as she returns to the Thames Estuary.

Join us!