Moored at Barton Haven following recent purchase

Amy Howson – Society History – 1970’s

1975 – Sloop Committee formed and the search for a suitable ship Membership of the Society had grown steadily and, with 41 of the Society’s 100 members living on the South Bank, it was decided to call a public meeting at the Angel Hotel in Brigg on March 1, to see what interest there was in […]

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Sloop "Amy Howson"

Amy Howson – Society History – Intro

With suitable ships in short supply, the purchase of the Humber Sloop AMY HOWSON in 1976 came with a sigh of relief from the Sloop Committee. Five years of fund-raising and restoration saw her returned to sail in 1981, since then thousands of miles have been covered under sail and power, thousands of visitors and […]

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Heading past New Holland Pier for another load from King George Dock - Amy Howson in the mid-1960's

Amy Howson – Working History

Built at Beverley in 1914 by Joseph Scarr & Sons for George Robert Scaife of Beverley, rigged as a keel and named SOPHIA after his wife. She was used for general cargoes including grain to Sheffield and other canal wharves, carrying coal back to Hull and Beverley. She was built to what is known as […]

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Sailing down the Ouse towards the Humber - © ITV Yorkshire

Comrade – Society History – 1990’s

1990 – ‘Spilling the Wind’, Shanties and Race Revival Following filming last September, David Beresford’s half hour documentary, “Spilling the Wind”, finally aired on Yorkshire Television at 10.30 on April 26. The programme was beautifully made with a blend of sailing shots, old photographs, interviews and music giving a vivid picture of both keels in […]

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Comrade in Bridlington Harbour

Comrade – Society History – 1980’s

1980 – A Keel goes to sea COMRADE has completed four very successful sailing seasons, though she still required leeboards before claiming that she is fully restored. A full sailing programme on the Humber included, in late June, a weekend charter party from the North Western Museum of Inland Navigation, during which the whole length […]

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Lincoln Water Festival, Brayford Pool

Comrade – Society History – 1970’s

1974 – All we want for Christmas is a Humber Keel As a part of an all out effort by HKSPS members to put together enough funds to enable the purchase of their very own Humber Keel, John Hainsworth asked Fred Schofield if he would take COMRADE to the Inland Waterways Association rally at Nottingham. This […]

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Humber Keel "Comrade"

Comrade – Society History – Intro

Since purchasing the Humber Keel COMRADE in 1974 thousands of miles have been covered under sail and power, thousands of visitors and passengers have boarded and sailed on her, and thousands of man-hours spent restoring, maintaining and crewing her by a comparatively small group of dedicated volunteers. The testimony to those volunteers, past and present, […]

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COMRADE in 1934 at Stainforth
                                      Photo by Fred Schofield
   Onboard his mother, father Arthur, sister Winifred and wife Lilian

Comrade – Working History

The Humber Keel COMRADE was built in 1923, at Warren’s shipyard at New Holland. Originally named WANDA, she was built for Turner Carmichael of Hull. The steel hull was made to Sheffield size of 61ft-6ins (18.75m) length and 15ft-6ins (4.72m) beam, with a hold capable of carrying up to one hundred tons of cargo. Initially, she traded in […]

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sloop_race_01

Humber Sloop – Origins

  Developed with influence from the 17th century Dutch gaff rigged trading vessels which had been prolific in the port of Hull, the Humber sloop as a type of vessel dates from the early eighteenth century c1725. The Humber sloop was designed to sail efficiently with their fore and aft gaff rig known as being […]

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