Ship profile for the sailing ship: "Irene"

Photos of the sailing ship:

Please click into a photo to see it in higher resolution.

Irene, MAX (http://www.tallshipstock.com/), Off Penzance, Cornwall , 1996

Source, location, date:
MAX (http://www.tallshipstock.com/),
Off Penzance, Cornwall,
1996

Irene, Volker Gries, Sail Brest 2016 , 07/2016

Source, location, date:
Volker Gries,
Sail Brest 2016,
07/2016

Technical data of the sailing ship:

Name:Irene
Nation:GBR
Type of rigging:KETSCH
Year built:1907
Yard:F.J. Carver and Son, Bridgwater, UK
Length:35.70 m
Draught:2.70 m
Sail area:435 m2
Ship's hull:Holz / Wood
Power:270 PS
Engine:2 * Gardener 6LX

Portrait of the sailing ship:

Last update: 16 May 2021

  • built by F.J. Carver and Sons in Bridgwater, UK in 1907, for Capt. William Lee and shipowner Colthurst Symons, named after the daughter "Irene".
  • she sailed as part of the fleet of British merchant vessel through two world wars and a Great Recession, transport of corn, cattle feed, stone, coal, scrap iron.
  • built to be beached for loading and unloading of cargoes, belonged to the Bridgwater Brick and Tile Company carrying cargoes of tiles and bricks mostly in the Bristol Channel between Bridgwater and Ireland, later used for transporting coal and clay around the coast.
  • since 1917 homeported in Swansea, Wales.
  • 1919 sold to W.A. Jenkins, 1922 Capt. Hugh Shaw from Arlingham, Gloucestershire, became the owner.
  • 1927 return to Bridgwater, 1928 bought back by Colthurst Symons.
  • retired from trading service in 1960-61, converted to a house boat.
  • found in a derelict state in the Hamble river by her present owner Doctor Leslie Morrish, after purchasing the ship he started a restoration that lasted nearly 20 years, moved to Brentford on the Thames.
  • major refit 1980-82 in Bristol and Gloucester, exchange of the engine, re-planking, new keel, decks, masts and bowsprit.
  • after restoration the ship was used for many commercials, film and fashion shoots, i.e. she played the part of "The Flying Dutchmen" in the epic film biography of the composer Robert Wagner.
  • 1997 she crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean where she has been available for charter ever since.
  • In Marigot Bay, St. Martens on the 23rd May 2003, the "Irene" was gutted in a major fire and subsequently sank, rebuilt until 2009 when she went under sail again.

Contact:

Website (English, 06 May 2021):
http://www.ireness.com/
Irene: the boat, rebuilding of the ship, history of the ship, photo gallery, contact address

Literature for further reading:

We recommend the following references for your further research of the ship. The references marked with have been included in the generation of the ship profile on this page.

Ollivier Puget, Jean-Noël Darde
"Partir sur les Grand Voiliers - Le guide pour embarquer"
Guides Balland 2000 ISBN: 2-7158-1277-9
Page: 88 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data Quelle with contact

Otmar Schäuffelen
"Die letzten grossen Segelschiffe"
Delius Klasing Verlag 2002 ISBN: 3-7688-0483-6
(10. aktualisierte und erweiterte Auflage)
Page: 160 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data

Paul Brown
"Historic Sail. Britain's Surviving Working Craft"
The History Press 2013 ISBN: 978-0-7524-8581-2
(in Association with National Historic Ships UK)
Page: 174, 178 Source with picture Source with history Source with technical data