The Irene
The Irene is a unique survivor from a bygone era. Built by F J Carver and Son in Bridgwater, 1907, Irene is one of the last of the West Country Trading Ketch's still under sail.
She sailed for 50 years as part of the fleet of British Merchant vessels through two world wars and a Great Recession, finally retiring from her trading service in 1960. She was abandoned for many years until discovered by her present owner. Captivated by her natural vitality and beauty he set about her restoration
Since this time the Irene went through a major fire which almost destroyed her completely, it is due to the ingenuity, hard work and continuing commitment of her owner Leslie Morrish that we will see the Irene afloat and sailing again. In a recent letter to Celtic Maritime Connections he provided us with the following update:
"The hull is now essentially complete, framing, outer planking and ceiling, hanging knees and staple knees, covering board, king plank and margin plank and now completion of upper decking, caulking and paying. This is a major step forward and it is tempting to see the rest as simply add ons. Realistically there is a long list yet to do even before we start on any conversion of the interior. However, the enthusiasm for the project is unabated and the Irene will certainly be mobile later this year.
For more details I suggest you use the Irene link at the bottom of this page and click Rebuild
