Once more Whitstable harbour fills with wooden sailing boats. Not the Schooners and Barquetines of the past but their smaller sisters the Oyster Smacks and Thames Barges.
They gathered together, the slight breeze rustling sails and clanking riggings bringing back the sounds of the past. The crews busied themselves with last minute jobs and then they followed each other out of the harbour mouth to the starting line of the race.
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It’s never easy getting all of the boats in any race to line up, but when they were near enough in line the klaxon was sounded from the harbour launch and then they were off.
These are some of the views from the launch as the boats sailed the course, the images so reminiscent of the days when the sea was crowded with such vessels.
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| The winners were every boat and every crew member who worked so hard to recreate this spectacle, the men who brought their cherished craft back to its birthplace, to sail again in the waters off Whitstable.
As you can see this must have been very hard work for some of the guests, caught here having a well earned rest from hauling in those sails and halyards. Me jealous? You bet! |
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Images by Neil Baker
Other years:
2007 – A short video taken from the West Quay. Look carefully – they are moving!
2009 – Thankfully we have digital cameras these days. Imagine having to capture the scene on canvas as it happened!
Picture-in-Picture
