The Kenya Jacaranda

Rotarian Douglas Dick gave a very interesting talk about how he sails as a member of the crew of the Kenya Jacaranda giving youngsters an opportunity to sail. This is organised by the Mayflower Sailing Trust www.msts.uk.net one of the groups who enjoyed a trip last year was a party from the Chernobyl Children's Life Line. After their cruise they stayed on board in St Catherine's Dock using the ship as a base for sightseeing.

The Kenya Jacaranda is one of only five Brixham sail fishing trawlers still left afloat out of an original fleet of some 400 vessels. She is a 69 foot (waterline) gaff rigged ketch with a total length overall of 77ft. She has a registered tonnage of 31.10 tons and weighs 85 tons in all.

She was originally named the Torbay Lass when first registered in 1923 to a fisherman in Brixham, having been built at the boatyard of R. Jackman and Sons of Brixham. At that time she had no deck housing and no engines, being a pure sailing trawler.

Douglas Dick

All available space was used for the storage of sails, fish and nets. In 1939, the ship was re-registered as the Kenya Jacaranda. At this point two engines were installed with twin propeller shafts and the registration also notes the presence of the deck housing. As the Kenya Jacaranda, she went on to cruise the Indian Ocean off Kenya for many years.

The Kenya Jacaranda has been a regular sight on the River Thames since 1950. In the period from 1950 to 1997 over 7000 youths put to sea under sail. She was registered to the current trustees in 1976. In 1980 a major refit was accompanied by the formal transfer of the ship to the Mayflower Sail Training Society. The association with young people and the Thames continues.

The ship is crewed by teams of enthusiastic unpaid volunteers, led by fully qualified skippers. The crew of 6, however, need the assistance of the trainees to get the sails & up. The old traditions of sail handling are maintained and there are none of the power winches that modern boats rely on.