NEWSLETTER – Summer 2024 *

Summer is coming, late but it should be here soon, we hope.

Headline News – Due to unforeseen circumstances our Website is currently still offline. We apologise if you have been affected by this or for any inconvenience caused. But be assured that we are trying to sort this out, in the meantime please be patient. However, our new Website below will replace and be much better than the original which was very unreliable anyway.
Once this horrible little gremlin has been removed we hope to be back on-line very soon with our new improved Website address as follows – www.nemaritimetrust.org.uk
Please also note our new email – info@nemaritimetrust.org.uk will soon be available on the website and we hope it will also be much more reliable than before.

Latest News Henry Frederick Swan


After some updating and some essential repair work over the winter, HFS has now left the building. Pictured here approaching the NE1 quayside mooring, after a very pleasant sailing trip from NEMT with a stop over at St Peter’s for refreshments.

We are now ready for events to take place over the summertime.

1st Event will be the South Shields D-Day Landing remembrance celebrat toion on Thursday 6th June starting with with HFS and others including the current Tynemouth lifeboat at 8.00pm end at 9.30pm with lights included at the Law Top.

2nd Event (on Coble Royal Diadem11) will be at the Bridlington Coble Festival on 29th and 30th of June. This is always a great event with like minded people who share the same interests, a great partnership in fact.

3rd Event will again be at Blyth during the Town Carnival Day on 6th July. We will be at the Blyth RNYC moorings looking forward to some good sailing (weather permitting), and enjoying some good craic, as usual.


Small changes / Big results – Our recent move to improve links with other like-minded organisations, and especially improving links with educational partners, has led to some real benefits for NEMT.
We now have strong links with South Shields Marine College and Sunderland University, schools and more recently South Shields Sea Cadets.
While we still have work to do, NEMT and all concerned have benefitted with these initiatives which also promise to help with our sustainability and the Trust’s future security.

Also visit – North East Maritime Trust on Facebook

and – X @NEMTnews

Sunderland University

Henry Frederick Swan launch day event –
This was going to be early April but unfortunately very strong winds and a big swell stopped us from launching from the NEMT boatshed.
But that didn’t stop final year students from giving a great show of some fantastic music, great event publicity, and the introduction of QR Coded maritime history and heritage at South Shields. Everything went so well we hope to invite more students back later this year.

South Shields Marine College

This was to introduce young people to the world of anything historically maritime and all went very well indeed. 1st year students came along to view and discuss everything history-related, including maritime artifacts with our people, visit the sheds and enjoy being part of a real maritime organisation, even for just a few hours. A great opportunity for everyone.

South Shields Sea Cadets

With a great deal of help and support, we have jointly agreed to initially build two 18ft 5 person (Including Coxswain) rowing boats, as part of a training project for the Sea Cadets.
For evaluation and conformity purposes these are plywood kit boats jointly designed by Marine Architect, Francois Vivier and kits supplied by Jordan Boats in Cumbria.
This new initiative between all parties has been both exciting and informative in equal measures and certainly a learning curve for NEMT. Some unavoidable initial problems have now been overcome with successful frame building, sole and garboards being prepared for fitting and finish. Now progress is being made to produce a great working example for the essential evaluation process.

Exciting times ahead.

Why not take a look on our new YouTube channel @NEMT-Boat-Place

Hartlepool County Council

Discussions are currently underway with Hartlepool County Council to take possession of a very historic pilot coble called Viking.
We have a unique opportunity to take on the restoration of this unique double ender, a clinker sailing boat built in 1907. Of course she needs a great deal of work, but that’s just exactly what we do. It is hoped that she will arrive as soon as transport can be arranged.

Workshop News

While boat building and repairs continue, we are also hoping to complete restoration of the Margaret rowing boat (1933). This will help create more space for the next (another) long term restoration project. Hopefully, this is expected to be about September next year.
But more about this later.
As said, this trust has taken some bold steps recently to enable a more sustainable long term future.
To help promote our regionally historical preeminence as inventors and manufacturers of ships, boats, tugboats and propulsion systems during the industrial revolution, we must continue to promote this region.
Some may disagree, but we do proceed with caution and integrity.

Your membership is important to NEMT to help maintain and improve our way forward, so please renew either later this month or January as advised. Please also note that membership will cease to be active when reaching six months or more in arrears.

Email or just call in if you have any questions to- nemaritime2020@gmail.com

Our membership numbers are reasonably stable and volunteering continues to grow, hands-on volunteering has also increased slightly, but we need more. While not essential, anyone with woodworking skills or similar experience will be given some extra tea or coffee and even biscuits too.

The Boatyard Bistro

After a lot of initial work to get everything ready, especially with funding from our local Dogger Bank Wind Farm We have now opened our new small, but perfectly formed cafe to great effect.
Initially to serve tea and coffee And, we welcome all our customers’ donations.
Please call 0191 4478814 or leave a message if we don’t answer.

North East Maritime Trust
Fishermens’ Workshops
2/3 Wapping Street
South Shields
NE33 1LQ

* the original was 8mb – this is a copy with the text being the same but it only shows the main image and the watermarks have been removed. This copy, for use in nemaritimetrust.co.uk, is now only 2.5mb.

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