Sailings sunk as volunteers dry up

The two regular skippers are unable to sail, and trips out on the Humber from South Ferriby, which normally start in May, have been called off.

The Humber Keel and Sloop Preservation Society, which owns the keel Comrade and sloop Amy Howson, faces two problems –the lack of new blood willing to put in the time to get the commercial endorsements needed on the skipper’s licence and increasing regulations that make that necessary.

Chairman Dave Parker said: “We have two skippers with the commercial endorsement but they have both said they can’t do it this year for personal reasons.

“Around four years ago the Maritime and Coastguard Agency bought in a code of practice, which they say isn’t law, but if you don’t conform and something goes wrong everything hits the fan.

“We are just an amateur society trying to keep historic ships sailing and then they say you need all these regulations and the guys are getting on and finding it a bit too much.

“To be honest we are not getting the people to come and replace them and that’s half the problem.”

He added: “We used to sail every other weekend Saturday and Sunday in the summer between May and September.

“We used to have some great times out there; we met some brilliant people who bought their own seafaring stories. There were a lot of people who didn’t realise how interesting it was and how delightful it was to be on the river.”

Suspending public sailings have serious implications for the society as they bring in the bulk of the income, but there will be some savings on equipment required for public sailings.

Both Amy Howson and Comrade will still sail, but only with members of the society on board.

Amy Howson is expected to be moved to Barton for the spectacular flotilla which will celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on the Humber on Monday June 4. Organisers hope thousands of people will turn out on both banks of the river for the flotilla, which aims to recreate one held in 1897 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Mr Parker said he hoped people would consider joining to experience working in a team and navigating the Humber.

Vessels, like the 1914 gaffe-rigged Amy Howson and keels Comrade and Southcliffe, were once common sights on the Humber.

But the commercial viability of the vessels waned from the 1930s, with government grants paving the way for diesel engines.

The membership secretary Mrs J Parker can be emailed at [email protected].