Target reached!
With the extra money we can stabilise Dorana here in Tollesbury. Build her a cover a...
Bring Dorana Home
Maldon, Essex, United Kingdom
Aim
We aim to raise the funds to bring the last surviving traditional fishing built in Tollesbury back home, so we can restore her.
Dorana, Historic Fishing Vessel
Dorana is a type of sailing fishing boat called a Bawley, these are now pretty rare, but used to be a common site on the Thames Estuary. She is 34ft long and was built by Frost and Drakes in Tollesbury in 1939.
Tollesbury
Tollesbury is a small coastal village on the Essex coast. Though lesser known than its bigger neighbours boast a proud maritime history. This included a large fishing fleet, boat building and producing some of the best Americas Cup crews from the golden age of yachting. There is still a thriving marine scene in Tollesbury with sail lofts, boat builders, marinas and sailing club.
Tollesbury Maritime Heritage CIC
Tollesbury Maritime Heritage CIC was set up by local volunteers to research and restore the rich heritage of this village. We were recently contacted by Johnny Johnston the chairman of the Berwickshire Maritime Trust, who have the last surviving traditional fishing boat built in Tollesbury.
The Trust are having to leave their premises and she is at risk of being broken up. They have generously offered to give us Dorana at no cost, provided we bring her back to Tollesbury and restore her here.
Our Mission
Tollesbury Maritime Heritiage CIC are raising the funds to transport Dorana back to Tollesbury. This involves hiring a crane to lift her onto a lorry that can bring her down from Eyemouth on the Scottish Boarder. We then plan to restore her as part of a community project here in the village. We will work with many different local groups from the scouts to photography clubs, not only to pass on traditional boat building skills to future generations, but also research and promote the rich history of the village and it's links to the sea. We expect this to take about three years after which Dorana will be available for use by the community as well as taking the public on trips teaching traditional sailing and fishing techniques.
Why Help?
- Save and incredibly important historical vessel and see her returned to East Coast Waters.
- Be part of a growing community championing our shared maritime history.
- Support a local community project which will see local people some together to learn new skills and achieve a shared goal.
- Receive one of our rewards in return for your support.
This project successfully funded on 21st July 2023