Photos from St Kats

Rob Everitt dropped us a few shots to give us a flavour of the weekend at St Katherine Docks for the Classic Boat Festival. Endeavour and many of her fellow ADLS vessels will now make the journey up the Thames to Penton Hook for the Veteran's Cruise.

August/September Trips

Members of Old Leigh Kayak Tours joined Endeavour for a trip to the Pier

Please find below the latest info re: trips over the rest of August and into September.

With all of these trips, we've given dedicated links to register your interest (it'll pre-populate the email subject line when you click Chris and Rob's names). We really hope that members will take advantage of the opportunity to take a trip on Endeavour as it's a great time out and also gives you a proper sense of what she would have been like as a working boat or during the Dunkirk rescue.

When the folks from Old Leigh Kayak Tours joined Endeavour for trip from Bell Wharf out to the Pier and back, this is what they had to say about their day:

"What a fantastic experience. I’ve always wanted to take a trip on Endeavour. Such a beautiful little ship with a wonderful history. Rob, Chris and the boys treated us so well. We will definitely be back for another.

"If you’re not a member, join up and take a trip, it’s awesome!"

St Kats and the Veterans' Cruise

Well, we haven't had much luck in getting Endeavour off her mooring recently! Last week's Bank of England cruise had to be cancelled due to one key crew member hurting his back (not on Endeavour!) and yesterday's outing was cancelled because of the grotty weather.

Welcome to the Summer 2021 Newsletter

Endeavour is nearly ready to return to her mooring at the Peter Boat, from where we hope that we will be able to run a decent programme of trips for members; and there's a couple of events we'll tell you about so you can get them in the calendar. We give a rundown of all the hard work that was necessary to get her ready. Our new information board is up at the Peter Boat awaiting the boat's return, and you can read about all the hard work that entailed too.

With a bit of expert digging, we've located photos of two boats that played an important role in the Leigh boats' Dunkirk experience and print these with some history; it all helps to bring to life this important part of local history.

Then we've got news of one of our stalwarts retiring from the Trust and a request for volunteers to help the Trust continue its work.

Please drop us a line if you have any comments, or visit us on our Facebook page. 

Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion!

We are delighted to inform members that Endeavour has returned to her summer mooring outside the Peter Boat in Old Leigh where she can be admired once more. Skipper Andy Wood oversaw the short move back to the Old Town on a dull and grey day. Here’s hoping for some sun to show her off to her advantage.

New Information Board in Old Leigh

Our information board near the Peter Boat has been in place since 2010. Treasurer Rob Everitt noticed that while the frame was still solid, it was getting more than a little rusty and the Perspex panel had dulled with age, making it a little difficult to read.

Ben & Lucy and Sarah Hide — Key Boats During the Dunkirk Mission

The last issue of the newsletter had a lot of Dunkirk-related information. Two of the boats that played a significant role in the Leigh boats' Dunkirk experience were the slightly larger vessels into which the cocklers were decanting the men they’d rescued from the beaches and the mole.

The Ben and Lucy was a wooden steam drifter, while the Sarah Hide was a steel drifter/ trawler. The boats had a fair amount in common.  Some digging by Rob Everitt and Fraser Marshall led to us finding photos of these boats and some more information.

Dates for the Diary

We hope that if the COVID situation continues to improve, Endeavour will participate in a few more events this year. Here’s three for now:

St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival: Sept 3-5

HMS Leigh — The Bravest Pier in the World: Sept 24-26

The Leigh-on-Sea Endeavour Trust AGM will take place on Oct 1st at 7.30pm. More details to follow, but we hope to have a range of merchandise available on the day.

Endeavour Trips - What Dates Suit You?

It should be feasible to take Endeavour out for a number of 90 minute or 11 hour trips for members in the next few months. The hope for longer trips is that Endeavour will be under sail. Members will need to bring a packed meal for longer trips.

There are a number of potential dates, and members are invited to complete an online form to indicate the dates that they would prefer.

Thank you, Alan!

Member Alan Palmer has kindly agreed to store the frame that covers Endeavour's deck in winter in his container. It ensures that the worst of the weather is kept out of her timbers, but it's a big item, so we're very grateful for Alan's kindness.