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About Growler
Growler is a Thames sailing barge yacht built in 1922 by Whites of Conyer Creek. She is based on the racing barge Sara. Following her working career, Growler had a brief leisure sailing life before being retired to a barn in Dedham, Suffolk. The historic vessel's last owner was Gus Curtis of Harry King & Sons in Pin Mill, Suffolk. Growler is now owned by Ash Faire-Ring, one of the new generation of crowdfunded boat restorers, who is restoring her in Burnham Overy Staithe in north Norfolk.
Ash, who was raised in Suffolk, started sailing at the age of around four months, and at the age of 11 built a 10ft (3.1m) Ian Oughtred clinker ply sailing dinghy called Griffin with his father. Ash has a lifelong love of classic boats, particularly workboats and Thames sailing barges - he also crews aboard the 2000-built steel Thames sailing barge Juno with a friend locally. He was donated Growler in August 2018 and began her restoration in June 2019 once he had completed his A-levels.
Despite having limited funds (and needing to sit his A-levels before getting down to the job in earnest), Ash, together with his business partner, Ben Danziger, set up a marketing campaign to spread word of the vessel's restoration and crowdfund £2000 to pay for initial project costs. He secured a sponsor with Jotun Yachting who are providing all the coatings required to carefully bring the barge back to seaworthy condition, amounting to around £4,000 worth.
Restoration
The basic work includes: re-planking on the chines, re-planking half the port side, new keel, keelson, stem, sistering all frames on port and starboard, new engine and all associated systems.
After a four-year restoration project, Ash relaunched Growler at Burnham Overy Staithe in May 2023. There is still some remaining work to do before she can go to sea, but she is now watertight, repainted, and nearly ready to return to sail.
Sail Cargo
Growler's draught of just 2ft (60cm), her ability to beach upright, common to all Thames sailing barge derivatives, and a big expanse of space above and below decks, means that she suits the small, growing movement of sail cargo which Ash is hoping to join. He has already arranged to sail local produce from Norfolk around East Anglia, up the Thames and into London's Borough Market's own jetty to offload.
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