The mizzen re-made
January 2025
Over the autumn shipwrights Laurie and John finished off the remaining deck machinery work - including fitting the main brail winch and getting the windlass back on to the barge deck. The windlass is an incredibly heavy piece of kit as it’s used for raising the anchor and the mainmast. We were grateful for the assistance of Queenborough Fishery Trust and the Barker Mills Foundation for funding this work.
As the end of 2024 approached, attention turned to the construction of a new mizzen, located at the back of the barge. The mizzen sail is connected to the rudder, and helps to steer the barge. Raybel’s came off many years ago, hence a new one needed. It’s made up of three ‘spars’ – a mizzen mast (10.7m), a diagonal sprit (11.6m), and a boom (7m). Each is of differing thickness as well. The dimensions were carefully planned by Laurie with sail maker Steve Hall – each barge being a bit different.
Ideally we would have used Douglas Fir, but with timber supplies limited, settled on Doug Fir for the mast and boom, with larch for the sprit. All FSC certified.
Shipwright team was Laurie and John joined by Alanna Cameron, who first came to the team as part of the rudder re-build* training project we ran with Women in Boatbuilding. By Christmas - three spars delivered and ready to be fitted.
Heading into the 2025, final financing had been put together for the next phase of work, through a donation campaign (thankyou Raybel supporters!), Swale Borough Council and some finance we could provide ourselves from reserves built up through consulting work over the last few years.
Then we were really chuffed to hear we had been included in the latest round of grants awarded through the Endangered Crafts Fund. These grants are made by Heritage Crafts to help safeguard some of the UK’s most endangered craft skills. The grant enables us to bring Alanna back again, work with Laurie and John on the mast setting and re-rigging of Raybel over the next few months.
* the rudder rebuild was featured in a Channel 5's "Kent: Garden Of England " programme (episode 2). There was also a good section on our near neighbour SB Edith May too, so well worth watching on their catch up service.
Images: Windlass back on deck; three spars for the mizzen; trainee shipwright Alanna
