Derek Cox Art
More Examples ...
Paintings & Sketches
Paintings and sketches, particularly of earlier vessels, can provide useful information where photographs are otherwise not available, but care is needed as some artists use 'artist licence' in depicting the event.
Tweed
Faversham registered, Schooner, 199 tons
Official Number 29508
Tweed was built in 1865 in Newburgh, Scotland. On 16 November 1889 she collided with the tug Rescue. She disappeared in November 1915 on her way to Dunkirk with a cargo of clay.
Painting by Reuben Chappell (1870-1940)
Thirza
Faversham registered, Brigantine, 199 tons
Official number 51924
Thirza was built at Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, in 1865 and operated out of Whitstable. During WWI she became a commissioned war-ship. Her name changed several times - Elixir, Probus and Q30. In 1920, she was converted to a lighter.
Sketch by W L Wyllie (1851-1931)
Posters
Poster of Standard Quay, Faversham
A range of commercially available posters and cards. This poster show the Thames sailing barge Greta which is locally owned and skippered by Steve Norris of Faversham. Greta took part in the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 and is the oldest (1892) active Dunkirk Little Ship. She still regularly sails out of Whitstable harbour.
Poster Advertising Faversham's Annual Nautical Festival
The Faversham Nautical Festival brings together the town’s maritime heritage with classic boats, music and demonstrations held on the banks of the historic creek. It attracts many thousands of visitors.
Books
Customs and Smugglers in the Port of Faversham (1200-1900)
By Stuart Harrison
Printed and published by the Faversham Society (2011)
ISBN 0-900214-67-9
Stuart served for 40 years in HM Customs and Excise, mostly on anti-smuggling duties in Kent. In this book, he explains the extensive historical roles and duties of the Custom systems covering the Port of Faversham as far back as the thirteenth century. Smuggling was rife along the north Kent coast. Stuart provides interesting accounts of some of the smuggler's exploits and the manifests of contraband involved.
Sailing Coasters of Faversham 1750 to 1919
By Richard Hugh Perks
Printed and published by the Faversham Society (2019)
ISBN 978-1-900214-89-6
Hugh has written extensively about shipping, fishing and traditional sailing vessels of the Thames Estuary. He has been sailing Thames barges, smacks and Norfolk wherries for over 60 years. This is his third authoritative volume in a series of three - Volume I Sailing Smacks of Faversham; Volume II Sailing Barges of Faversham. Each volume contains a wealth of information and stories about local vessels and are the result of many years of dedicated research work.
Miscellaneous Items
Eye of the Wind
Faversham registered, Brigantine
Official number 363398
Eye of the Wind is a brigantine-rigged, tall sailing ship built in 1911 in Germany. She was fully restored at Faversham in the 1970s. She is still sailing to exotic places around the world.
A book is available by Ina Koys who sailed on the Eye of the Wind for many months of her life. It is where she met the 98 co-authors who joined her to write a special book about a very special ship that has sailed the oceans for more than 100 years. (ISBN 3947536372)
To open an external link to find out the location of Eye of the Wind is at this very moment, click HERE
(<https://www.eyeofthewind.net/en/ship/ship-s-position>
An envelope from Eye of the Wind, which has been franked with her Faversham registration details.
Boat Building & Restoration
Alan Thorne
Purifier Building, Faversham
A professional boatbuilder for many decades, Alan is passionate about sharing his skills and knowledge.
BRIDGET
Faversham built
This new, wooden 15' rowing skiff is the product of Faversham's craftsman Alan Thorne's and his latest community project - 'The Boat Building Experience'.
Alan Staley
Chambers Wharf, Faversham Creek
Alan is a shipwright and has been restoring and building boats for over 35 years. He undertakes all types of work on wooden boats - from dinghies to 50ft (sail and power). Alan won the 'Craft Skills Award for Teaching Skills in the Work Place'. The award was presented by HRH Prince Charles.
To open an external link to view Alan Staley's website, click HERE
<http://www.alanstaleyboatbuilders.co.uk/>
Horatio
Faversham built
She was built to a John Leather design by Alan Staley of Chambers Wharf, Faversham in 2009. She is built from epoxy-bonded plywood, sealed with epoxy and traditionally painted.
Websites
There are many websites featuring Faversham's maritime connections. Some of these are about local Thames barges, some documenting historical research and others with photographs showing Faversham vessels. Here are just two examples from many:
TS Hazard - The town warehouse
The Town Warehouse, now TS Hazard, dates to 1475. Town Quay where TS Hazard stands, existed by 1420. There are aspirations for a new maritime museum in TS Hazard as a heritage centre or museum featuring Faversham’s maritime history, trade, the Graveney Boat, and the Cinque Ports. It is presently home of Faversham Sea Cadets.
To open an external link to read more, click HERE
<https://favershamsociety.org/ts-hazard-the-town-warehouse/>
Fairweather V
Faversham built, fishing vessel, PD157
'Wrecksite' is an online, worldwide database of wrecks. It gives the date and location of the wreck of Fairweather V which was built by Southern Shipbuilders at Faversham in 1974. Fairweather V ran aground on the 4th February 1991 when striking rock at Carn Dearg and sinking. No lives were lost. She was built in 1974 by Southern Shipbuilding, Faversham.
To view Derek's ink and watercolour painting of Fairweather V, click HERE
To open an external link to visit 'Wrecksite', click HERE
<https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?11588>
Social Media
There are several social media sites which feature aspects of Faversham's maritime heritage. Social media sites usually contain 'latest' and more recent information than their associated websites. Here are two examples ...
Cambria
Restored and rebuilt at Faversham
Official Number 120676
Sailing barge Cambria is, famously, the last British ship to trade under sail and is maintained and operated by the Cambria Trust. With the support of lottery funding of £1.4 million, she was completely restored and rebuilt at Standard Quay over the period 2007-2011, thanks to the many skills and dedication of local people
To open an external link to Facebook to read more about Cambria, click HERE
<https://www.facebook.com/CambriaTrust/>
Faversham Creek Trust
Local Organisation
Faversham Creek Trust is an independent, non-political, not-for-profit community enterprise. Its overall aim is to restore Faversham Creek as a working waterway. In particular, it will:
- help to regenerate the Creek as a community resource
- develop a training scheme for shipwrights
- foster traditional boatbuilding skills, and
- promote tourism linked to the town’s maritime heritage.
To open an external link to Facebook to read more about the Faversham Creek Trust, click HERE
<https://www.facebook.com/FavershamCreekTrust/>
More examples are shown here of what is to be included in this project. Only brief details on the sources of information are given at this stage - the aim here is to give snippets into the kinds of information being sought. In the published versions, more comprehensive and informative content will be included.
Contributions and Copyright
All contributions will be acknowledged and copyright issues will be respected.
Copyright issues may limit some instances of information not being included when permission is not granted, or where details may fall short of 'fair dealing'.