HISTORY OF SAILING BARGE DECIMA
Sailing Barge Decima was built in 1899 by F.G.Fay & co. of Southampton. She was one of 20 identical barges built of steel, by Fay's for E.J.Goldsmith's of Grays in Essex, as part of a major expansion to their fleet.
Goldsmith's dealt in all types of cargo, and were known as the 'Pickfords of the river'!, as they boasted that they would transport any cargo, anywhere! Decima traded for Goldsmiths up until the late 1940s when the company was broken up, and she was bought by Rayfields of Gravesend. She traded for them until she was bought by the Testers of Greenhithe Lighterage who traded her as a motor barge - along with other former sailing barges, Xylonite and Portlight - until she was sold out of trade to Dennis
(Beefy) Wildish in July 1977.
It was Beefy who, with limited resources, re-rigged her and ran her as a charter barge from Faversham, Kent up until 1988 when she was sold as a houseboat to Jeremy Taunton.
In 2003, Tim Goldsack, who had been looking for a suitable barge to rig and sail, purchased Decima. She had, by this time, become seriously dilapidated, and Tim immediately gutted the barge and over the next eight months replaced a substantial amount of her hull and deck plates. A new Gardner engine was found and fitted, as was a complete new set of rigging, together with a set of good second-hand sails.
In July 2004 Decima set her sails once more, for the first time in over 15 years. She has since then become a regular sight throughout the East coast , and regularly competes in the series of barge match races held annually, with many first places to her credit!
Things have not always run smoothly for Decima. She has had many mishaps in her long history. Most notably, in 1938 during a severe gale, her crew abandoned her off Great Yarmouth, and she sailed herself across the North sea to Holland! She was relatively unscathed, and was returned to England where she was repaired and returned to work.
On November 17th 1940 she was swamped and sank whilst at anchor off of Southend pier with a deck cargo of timber. She was refloated, refitted, and once again was put back to work!
Decima is now based at Heybridge Basin in Essex, where, with the help of her new sponsor's, Tiptree Jams and Preserves, she is now for hire on the River Blackwater or throughout the East Coast.
Decima is in her 112th year, still sailing the same waters that she always has, since 1899!
Goldsmith's dealt in all types of cargo, and were known as the 'Pickfords of the river'!, as they boasted that they would transport any cargo, anywhere! Decima traded for Goldsmiths up until the late 1940s when the company was broken up, and she was bought by Rayfields of Gravesend. She traded for them until she was bought by the Testers of Greenhithe Lighterage who traded her as a motor barge - along with other former sailing barges, Xylonite and Portlight - until she was sold out of trade to Dennis
(Beefy) Wildish in July 1977.
It was Beefy who, with limited resources, re-rigged her and ran her as a charter barge from Faversham, Kent up until 1988 when she was sold as a houseboat to Jeremy Taunton.
In 2003, Tim Goldsack, who had been looking for a suitable barge to rig and sail, purchased Decima. She had, by this time, become seriously dilapidated, and Tim immediately gutted the barge and over the next eight months replaced a substantial amount of her hull and deck plates. A new Gardner engine was found and fitted, as was a complete new set of rigging, together with a set of good second-hand sails.
In July 2004 Decima set her sails once more, for the first time in over 15 years. She has since then become a regular sight throughout the East coast , and regularly competes in the series of barge match races held annually, with many first places to her credit!
Things have not always run smoothly for Decima. She has had many mishaps in her long history. Most notably, in 1938 during a severe gale, her crew abandoned her off Great Yarmouth, and she sailed herself across the North sea to Holland! She was relatively unscathed, and was returned to England where she was repaired and returned to work.
On November 17th 1940 she was swamped and sank whilst at anchor off of Southend pier with a deck cargo of timber. She was refloated, refitted, and once again was put back to work!
Decima is now based at Heybridge Basin in Essex, where, with the help of her new sponsor's, Tiptree Jams and Preserves, she is now for hire on the River Blackwater or throughout the East Coast.
Decima is in her 112th year, still sailing the same waters that she always has, since 1899!