The original Harris Rally was held in 2011 and primarily hosted the Harris–built smacks, Pioneer, Maria and Ellen. We now invite all smacks and working boats to attend this end-of-season event. We were pleased to host some fine sailing vessels alongside Pearson’s Quay this year and treat their crews to a hot lunch in the glorious October sunshine.
We were joined by the following boats:
Maria, CK21
Maria was built at Rowhedge by Peter Harris in 1886. She is 67ft overall in length with a displacement of 20 tons. In her time, Maria has worked hard as a fishing boat, in her later years with an engine. She has since been a houseboat in Holland and even rigged as a schooner with fake gun ports. After a major restoration by her present owner Paul Winter, she was re-launched in 2007. Now, apart from an echo-sounder and more modern materials for her sails, she would be instantly recognised by her original owner, Mr Gunn of Wivenhoe. Maria is a fast smack and has succeeded in local regattas, including at Rowhedge.
My Alice, CK 318
My Alice is the youngster of our three visitors, being built in 1907 by Kidby of Brightlingsea. She was built for Captain Fred Stokes of Tollesbury using the proceeds of his summer job as the very successful skipper of the racing yacht Sonja. My Alice was still dredging oysters in the Crouch in the 1980s, now as a motor smack. It was then that she was run down by another ship and sank. Only a wreck remained until she was saved by shipwrights Jim Dines and Brian Kennel and returned to her original state after a nine-year restoration. Stephen Heppel now owns My Alice, and along with Alberta and Maria has become a welcome participant at the Rowhedge Regatta.
William, MN15
William was built by the famous barge-builder Howard of Maldon in 1889, allegedly of off-cuts from barge building (although this is hotly disputed by some). The story goes that when John Howard checked her over, he ordered her to be burnt because of the number of short planks used. Fortunately he changed his mind and sold her to the yard foreman. In 1895 she was sold to the Wright family of Maldon and was registered MN15. William was used for oyster dredging, trawling and general fishing duties, including winkling. During their ownership William had a counter stern built on, extending her length by six feet in order to make is easier for her to handle a beam trawl. She was owned by three generations of Wrights before being sold out of fishing to George Hughes of Kent who converted her to pleasure use.
Faith
Faith was designed and built in Rowhedge by Fabian Bush (based on a traditional open workboat or winkle brig) for Alisdair MacKenzie (one time owner of William).
After the event we received a delightful thankyou postcard from the Brightlingsea children:
