Named after the original owner’s daughters, Bessie and Ellen. She is 120 feet long. According to her dedicated website ‘Bessie Ellen is one of the last surviving West Country trading ketches from a fleet that once stood at nearly 700.’
She was capable of holding 150 tons of cargo. The website says how she ‘transported clay, peat, aggregates, salt and many other bulk cargos around the UK and Ireland.’
She carried on shipping cargo until 1947 before being bought by a Captain Moller from Frederiksvaerk in Denmark. She was renamed ‘Forsøget’ (The Attempt) and was transformed to have less rigging and rely more on a big engine. She carried on carrying cargo until the 1970s.
Nikki bought her in 2000 and restored her to her original self.
The main space sits in the middle of the boat where once the cargo would be stored.
It’s spacious and nice and wide. There are 6 bunks along each side. Each has its own curtain and LED reading light. I sleep next to the rough, dark varnished timbers of the sides. 4 fixed dark wood tables are on the floor.
There are banquette seats along the sides next to the bunks under which are our lockers under cushions. The seats on the inside of the tables are old sea chests with cushions on top, rope handles at each end and each painted pale blue and a traditional compass painted on the side. Inside they store provisions for the trip.
At one end the roof can be opened like a sun roof. Nikki has made it homely. Old boat name signs are at one end, her given name when she went to Denmark Forsoget and the place she was registered Svendborg. There are 2 chests of drawers and pictures of old clippers.
From the ceiling white origami stars of different shapes and sizes dangle and Bob with the motion of the boat.
Across the main cross beam branches of flowers made from material remind me of hops hung above a bar in a pub. Hurricane lamps provide light and a toy parrot hangs from the ceiling. There is a shelf of books at one end.
Above deck she has eight sails: a main sail, top sail, mizzen, mizzen top, stay sail and three jibs. We manage to put all of these out apart from the mizzen top.
She is painted black with bright green lines at the water line and along her gunwales. She flies a Danish and Norwegian flag and the royal ensign. Wherever we anchor people come to see her.
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The Slow Walker 