In December 2025 the North East Maritime Trust took on the task of repairing and making the Hartlepool Museum’s Coble Friarage, seaworthy again:-
In April 2026 a visit to NEMT’s Workshop showed that they had taken on a job with HL80 that was would require considerable resources in terms of materials and manpower to make her seaworthy again and one only has to look at the likes of the Henry Frederick Swan in the National Historic Ships Register to get some idea of this.
There is a similar post in the Register for the Rachel Douglas and while it says in ‘History’. “The vessel is in excellent sea going state of repair and is subject to annual survey and maintenance” it does not tell you that until 2019, the excellent sea going sate of repair, had either been commissioned or completed by those in charge of NEMT.
Much of that work being done on the Friarage would be better done on the slipway run by NEMT rather than in their workshop and while a coble would not be finished to the same standard that was given to the Henry Frederick Swan, she would not be given back to the Hartlepool Museum without a good paint job!
It is entirely possible in the agreement between the Hartlepool Museum and NEMT that there was no requirement to make her river or seaworthy and that would mean that to use the slipway she would need to be craned both onto and off the slipway cradle to get any extensive work done on her.
NEMT could make a replica cradle to sit in their workshop which would mean that the Henry Frederick Swan could be left on the slipway cradle have her forward cabin like top repaired much like the aft one, on which the steering is fitted, was completed over 6 years ago.
I hope that those in charge find a way round the problem of three vessels requiring a lot of work, do not forget the Golden Gleam, but I’m sure it will be all explained in the 2026 NEMT Newsletter and I am looking forward seeing how they propose manage things so that the Golden Gleam is not left out in the ‘cold’ for another few years.
Mick Dawson
May 2026