Description

A 80ft engineless, wooden Thames Sailing Barge, 1881. Registered in Rochester, Kent. 1882. Built for carrying a cargo of bricks from Medway to the Thames.
She crossed the Channel over to France and Holland, around the coast as far south as Southampton and Devonport.
Re surveyed in dry dock June 2022, all was found to be in good order. She was at this time re-antifouled.
George Smeed has been completely rebuilt / restored over last 30 plus years.
The present restoration was started back in 1976, with a continuous maintenance programme continues to date.
A National Historic Vessel, has a wooden double skinned, flat bottomed hull with lee boards. She has never been fitted with an engine. Throughout the vessel all the gear and equipment has been Traditionally made from top, spec materials. She has benefitted from Marine professional services and a continued maintenance programme by Shipwrights, Riggers, and Ship keepers, who know and understand these wonderful vessels.
She has been used as a family home for the past 20 years.

Specifications

Accommodation

George Smeed has been used as home for 20 plus years. The restoration in its entirety took over 35 years to complete.
Enter through aft hatch, a laddered companionway lowering down into what was once the Master's cabin and now opened up, with a Reflex diesel stove, an used as a very comfortable snug room. Through central corridor.
Port side a workshop / store room full sized workbench and tools. a bosuns locker. this space could be used for an engine installation/ further berths/ an additional heads compartment.or an alternative entrance stairwell from deck.
Starboard is the office / guest cabin,it presently has twin bunk beds for the grandchildren and office space with desk and storage. Attached to the aft bulkhead, behind the full length hanging wardrobe are all the electrical servers/ invertor, battery condition units and chargers. 4 x heavy duty batteries.
Galley again to starboard, with a Taylors Marine gas cooker with hob and oven. (gas safety cut out system), refurbished 2018, a small microwave.
The galley is fitted out with plenty of stowage cupboard / drawers and shelving.
a Neff larder fridge Galley sink and drainer, Hot and cold pressurised water and a fresh water tap. There is a serving hatch in the corridor bulkhead, through across the hold to a dining area opposite.
The saloon then opens up to the full width of the vessel. on the aft bulkhead there is a multi fuel stove. ( with a back boiler serving the hot water and the central heating system, radiators throughout the accommodation.
Adjustable bookshelving , external Wifi aerial .
Forward Owners cabin - with a full size high rise double bed with storage underneath it. On the aft bulkhead large curtained full length hanging wardrobes.
Dressing table walk around bed.
Bathroom forward again with a spa bath and power shower
Pressurised water system. Vetus marine sea toilet or macerator to black tank additional macerator and pump out facility.
Fore hatch with a ladder escape to the foredeck
1300 litre fuel tank for the heating and domestic cooking.
2 x water tank- a 200 litres day tank + 800litre
200litre Holding tank.
Accommodation hold well ventilated with 2x cowl and 1 mushroom ventilators

Construction

Wooden carvel planked doubled skinned ( Iroko/ Elm on oak frames) .
All main beams are of Oak. a steel keelson on wood.
Flat bottomed ex cargo carrying commercial vessel.
Built to Thames Barge Standards (Fred Cooper's book "Handbook of Sailing Barges").
Out of the water "on the Blocks" April 2021. Underwater hull and topsides repainted/ re-antifouling. .
Fastened with galvanised bolts and spikes, doubling their strength of the fastening using treenails (trunnels) .
A pair of new Oak leeboards,
Flush laid deck and painted (light blue and green) using 7 x 3 inch Pitch pine and Iroko timbers, sealed with pitch and Sixaflex..
Cabins are all lined out with 2inch thick Douglas Fir. the Sealing ( the cabin floors) throughout are also Douglas Fir, as are some of the bulkheads. The lesser bulkheads are of Marine grade ply wood with Fire proof insulation.
The hatch boards over the hold area are all insulated. 3/4's of them are removable.
Sky lights and deck hatches all varnished, green canvas hatch cloths, with clear screens allow plenty of natural daylight below decks.
Steering gear was rebuilt new rudder and steering box , a refurbished ships wheel.
All keel bolts and chine bolts were replaced in 2018.

Equipment

Reflex oil stove and a Stovax multifuel stove. Both feed into the pressurised heating system, they can be operated individually or together.The Stovax will also operate as a gravity feed system.
Manual windlass was rebuilt
The Dolly winch, bought new
2 x brail winches and 2 x Crab winches - are new castings from the original ones by Raine Foundry.
Davits for the barge Boat
12ft GRP simulated clinker barge boat.
Manual windlass
5cwt Fishermans Anchor
reforged and reweighed 2018
new galvanised chain with measured length marker links.
1.5cwt galvanised kedge anchor

Navigation Equipment

Wheel steering
Compass-overhauled with a new card fitted 2018
Lead line
Thames Estuary charts
Navigation lights:
Mast head,port and starboard lamps in light boxes , Stern and anchor lights
All new 2018.

Engine(s)

Vessel is engineless.
1 x fuel tank in situ.

Prior to June Refit 2022

Lee boards, Dry dock 2022.

Prior to reantifouling June 2022

The flat bottom June 2022 prior to re antifouling.

Sails & Spars

Spritsail Traditional sailing barge rig. No bowsprit.
with topmast.
Flat bottomed ex Commercial cargo carrying barge hull with leeboards on manual winches.
Traditional tan coloured canvas sails.
Re rigged in 2017 by TSRigging Ltd
Air draft figure reduces to 65ft with her topmast struck.
Main mast and sprit both of steel
Main / lowers and peak brails
Main and fore horse of Oak
All iron works were made new and galvanised. as appropriate.
Standing rigging is galvanised wire and the running rigging is all synthetic hemp.

Sails :
Main Sail
Mizzen
Topsail
and a foresail All made new by Steve Hall at Tollesbury Essex.
They are in as new condition 2017. Redressed April 2021.

Electrics

Vitron Energy Invertor/ trickle charger to 4 x heavy duty batteries
240v shore power , 240v ring main , sockets and LED lighting.
24/12v lighting system throughout the accommodation
Pressure pumps serving the bathroom
Primer plus water heater and Immersion heater.
Forward Vitron 12v charger with 2 x heavy duty batteries.

Electronics

VHF radio Icom 2018
Scarecrow bird scarer

Recreation Facilities (Toys)

Safety Equipment

Solas Lifebelts - reflective with lights
12ft GRP Barge boat with buoyancy bags, 2018, Alf Last's
Gas / Oil safety cut out system
Smoke alarms with emergency lighting
Fire extinguishers 3 x automatic over the diesel / gas stoves.
4 x fire extinguishers
Fire blankets x 2
2 x fire buckets on deck.
Master fuse and 2 x circuit breakers
Automatic bilge pumps 2 x aft 2 x forward.
Comet Marine distress signals
Foghorn
First aid kit: Cat C MCA

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Location Map