It’s maybe testament to the skill of the boatbuilders of South Cumbria that meant a traditional fishing boat restored to her former glory sailed through her initial sea trials.
Spray, a Morecambe Bay Prawner, has been restored by the Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust to preserve one of the few remaining examples.
A Prawner is the traditional fishing boat of the Lancashire and Cumbrian coasts and hundreds of similar sailing boats were used to harvest the shrimps of the bay to deliver the favoured delicacy of the local seaside resorts to their holidaymakers.
In the 1920s Morecambe alone had a fleet of over 100 boats, but now there are less than a handful afloat in local waters.
Spray was secured by the Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust in February 2024 when she was moved to Glasson Dock for essential maintenance.
This was undertaken by the trust’s volunteers under the supervision of local heritage shipwright Matt Foot of the Bay Boatworks and Spray was recently lifted back into the water when this work was completed.
This week the vessel left Glasson Dock for the first time since the restoration work and moved under her own power into the River Lune.
Robin Ashcroft, a trustee of the Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust and Spray’s skipper, said: “This was an important day for Spray and potentially a challenging one for her crew.
“Prawners are great sea boats and fabulous to sail but they were never meant to be moored up against a pontoon in a modern marina as there were no marinas in her heyday nor manoeuvred under engine power in close confines.
“They have long keels. which can make them difficult to steer and can be particularly tricky to go astern with.
“So it was a great relief to discover just how well-mannered she is – even in reverse!’
After her engine trials in the basin at Glasson Dock there was also the challenge of bringing her back alongside to moor up again but according to Robin, she was equally well mannered coming alongside against her mooring.
The next step is for Spray to motor the six nautical miles from Glasson Dock, down the River Lune and out into the Irish Sea where there will be enough room to raise her sails and start doing what she does best – sailing.
Robin added: “Traditionally Prawners were kept on swinging moorings, where they would settle on the sand as the tide ebbed.
“Next year will see Spray returning to the waters and the sands of the Morecambe Bay when she’ll be her moored off the Stone Jetty in Morecambe during the summer months.
“Here she’ll be easily viewed from the planned site for Eden North, with good access to sail the waters of Morecambe Bay and the Irish Sea beyond as she did on the glory days of Morecambe Bay Prawners.”
Spray was built by Crossfields of Arnside and her history and restoration will be covered at this year’s Crossfield Conference, run by Arnside Sailing Club on Saturday November 22.
