XYLONITE steel barge at Mistley. [DW]
Foredeck of a working barge. The XYLONITE at Mistley Quay, 1947. This photograph shows in detail the hand windlass, the foresail sheet horse of wood, mast case (tabernacle), rigging screws at the lower ends of the shroulds, the leeboard chocks at the bulwarks, the kedge anchor by the main hatch, the furled 'staysail' and foresail, and many other details of this typical, well kept barge.
The cornfields of the Suffolk shore rise across the river Stour and other barges line the quays on a typical noonday of that glorious summer.
The XYLONITE was one of a series of steel sailing barges built at the Mistley Shipyard by and for F.W. Horlock of Mistley, in 1926. After building the bulky REDOUBTABLE in 1915, of wood, the yard turned to constructing rivetted steel sailing barges during the 1920s, which were amongst the finest afloat. During 1924-26 they launched REPERTOR, PORTLIGHT and XYLONITE. During 1927-30 the REMINDER, ADIEU, RECOURCEFUL and the beautifully named BLUE MERMAID, mined and sunk in 1940. These were amongst the last sailing barges built in Britain and the BLUE MERMAID was the last of a long, seagoing line.
The XYLONITE traded under sail into the 1950s.[JL]
Plate.3 in SWW.
Used in The Sailor's Coast, page 79.
Date: 1947