2024 was a very exciting year for Britannia – read on to see everything we accomplished.
January – We completed the fit-out of the new workshop and began work on the bases for the cover for Britannia. A highlight of the month was when Vicki and Abi visited Blandford Forum to collect a generous £2,000 donation from the Hall and Woodhouse Community Fund. Additionally, we were thrilled to receive £500 from the Devon County Councillors Locality Budget, kindly sponsored by Cllr. Carol Whitton, whose ward includes the Harbour and Canal.
February – We were delighted to receive a generous donation from the Baden Powell Project in King’s Lynn: an impressive and expensive electric plane. This contribution is a wonderful example of collaboration and shared heritage between projects like ours.
For those unfamiliar, the Baden Powell Project is dedicated to restoring and celebrating the Baden Powell, the first Worfolk boat built in 1900. You can learn more about their work on their website.
A huge thank you to the team for their support in preserving our shared maritime legacy!
March – This month, we had the pleasure of welcoming Jan and Polly as volunteers for a week. They worked tirelessly, and we’d be delighted to have them back anytime!
We also hosted a visit from the senior leadership team of CCP, a charity dedicated to supporting young people and families by preventing homelessness, promoting independence, and strengthening family units. This marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration, and we’re deeply grateful for their ongoing support.
We hope to work together and offer their young people the chance to go to sea, work on, and sail Britannia.
April – April marked Britannia’s Birthday, and we were lucky to have a dry day – the first since Christmas! It was a fantastic celebration with performances by Mariners Away and the Lynmouth Shanty Crew and appearances by ‘Lady Britannia’ and her friends ‘Laurel and Hardy’. Shugs from Tree to Sea withy pots also came along to demonstrate the making of traditional wicker crab pots on the quayside.
Special thanks to John from Co-Create for the delicious pizzas, and to ECQT, the Custom House, and Anna – the project coordinator and Hannah – our Harbour Development Manager, for their invaluable support. Hannah and Anna loaned us a gazebo, helped set it up, and provided flags and signage.
We also welcomed a new volunteer, Richard, who has already made a tremendous impact, working three days a week since joining.
At the end of the month, we sadly said a fond farewell to Hugo – our well known German Shepherd who has been part of the Britannia crew since day one.
May – We made excellent progress in May, completing the fitting of the hoops that form the base for Britannia’s custom cover. We were still waiting for the tentmakers to measure up and create the cover. In the meantime, we began work on repairing and restoring the spars and keeping up with ongoing tool maintenance.
June – Britannia took part in the first ever Exeter Heritage Harbour Festival. We hosted an Open Boat event and set up a stall on the Piazza, engaging with the community and celebrating Exeter’s maritime heritage.
We were also thrilled to be shortlisted for the National Historic Ships Martyn Heighton Award – an incredible honor that reflects the dedication of everyone involved.
Additionally, we attended a planning and consultation day at the Custom House, where discussions focused on the future of the Heritage Harbour and the role of the Custom House itself. It was a valuable opportunity for networking and sharing ideas for the development of this historic area.
July – This month included moving timber and ballast from Winkleigh, restoring spars, and cleaning, sanding, and oiling below decks in anticipation of the engine installation. We also cleaned and painted the ballast to ensure everything is shipshape.
A huge highlight was Andrew Mountstephen’s incredible fundraising effort; he completed an overnight cycle from London to Dulwich, raising an impressive £1,000 for our project! Thank you, Andrew, for your dedication and support!
August – We welcomed a new young volunteer, Hector, who at 19 had already completed a year at the Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy. Hector joined us to further his experience, and while we would have loved to take him on as a paid trainee, funding constraints meant that, after a couple of months, he moved on to an exciting full-time position with Sail GP in Portsmouth. We wish him all the best in his bright future!
August also saw an Open Boat alongside a classic car event on the piazza, welcoming visitors aboard and sharing Britannia’s story.
The long-awaited cover was finally fitted this month and we welcomed salty sea dog Zoe, our newest team member.
September – September was a busy month. We had a stall at the Harbour Shanty Festival, part of Heritage Open Days, which brought together the local community to celebrate maritime traditions. As part of the festivities, we also hosted a visit from the Exeter Heritage Volunteer Group, with whom we’re looking forward to collaborating in the future.
This month, we also said a sad goodbye to salty sea dog Poppy.
A major milestone was the arrival of Britannia’s engine, bringing us one step closer to her next chapter.
October – This month, we completed the repairs to the spars and installed the ballast, thanks to the much-needed help from our friends at CoCreate, who brought in some enthusiastic young volunteers to assist with the work.
At the end of the month, we had to say goodbye to Seb, who moved on to a full-time job in construction. Seb has been with us for three years, first as a volunteer and then as a trainee. While we’ll miss him, we wish him all the best in his new role and thank him for all his hard work and dedication to the project.
November/December – We had the opportunity to share Britannia’s story with a variety of special interest groups, delivering four talks and presentations. Our final presentation was at the kind invitation of the Royal Dartmouth Yacht Club. We’re always happy to spread the word about our work and are on the look out for more opportunities to engage with the community.
In addition to the presentations, we received some fantastic news regarding funding. We’ve been awarded two grants from Trusts that have supported us in the past: the Headley Trust and the Swire Foundation. A huge thank you to both of these organizations for their continued belief in our mission.
Planting commenced at Britannia Wood – our ‘boatbuilders’ woodland’ site in collaboration with the National Trust.
We enjoyed a well-deserved end of year celebration at the Prospect pub!
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