Name Sabrina 5

SABRINA 5 was one of six un-powered barges built in 1944 by Charles Hill & Sons of Bristol for the Ministry of War Transport.  During the war, many ships were diverted from London to the west coast ports, and barges were needed to distribute the cargoes quickly.  Initially they were managed by the Severn & Canal Carrying Co. and after nationalisation in 1948, they were operated by what became British Waterways.  Towed everywhere by tugs, the barges were mainly used for carrying 130 to 150 tons of imports from Avonmouth to Worcester or Stourport via the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and the River Severn.

Each barge was crewed by two men, who shared a cabin in the stern under the wheelhouse.  The principal cargoes were metals such as copper, zinc, steel and aluminium, and foodstuffs such as wheat, cheese, cocoa beans and tinned tomatoes.  Dried fruit was fumigated while on board to kill off any parasites. Occasionally there was an outward cargo, and some trips were made to other ports in the Bristol Channel, but these were rare.

The hold is covered by longitudinal hatch-boards supported on four rolling frames.  When loading and unloading, these frames can be pushed along to the end of the hatch opening to allow large items to be handled easily.  The boards are covered by waterproof tarpaulins that are held in place by battens and wedges around the hatch combing, and strings are lashed over the top to stop the tarpaulins lifting.

On one trip, in 1949, SABRINA 5 was driven ashore west of Portishead when a tow-rope parted in a gale.  The crew had to hang on for dear life as the barge crashed into the rocks several times before settling down and they had to remain in their wheelhouse with waves breaking over them for about an hour before helpers appeared on the shore.  Then lines were thrown to the helpers, and the men were able to scramble over the rocks through the breaking waves to safety.   SABRINA 5 was re-floated on the following day.  In the 1960s, the barge traffic to the Midlands was adversely affected by the growing use of containers and lorries, and the barge fleet was formally disbanded in 1969, although some movements continued into the early 1970s.  After several years of idleness, SABRINA 5 was restored at R W Davis & Son's yard at Saul, and in 1988 she became an exhibit at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester Docks.  In 2004, she was given a new role, as access ways were installed so that her hold could be used as a performance area with seating for up to 90 people.

After a career carrying cargo she's now a floating education, exhibition and meeting space for the National Waterways Museum, Gloucester.  The transformation was carried out by the Canal & River Trust (the charity that runs the museum) by Gloucester boat builder T Nielson & Co.  SABRINA 5 is one of the largest vessels in the museum's collection and by giving careful consideration to her conservation, many original features have been maintained, including original timber floors and ceiling.  Steel beams may have swapped a functional role for a decorative one, but they remind visitors that this is a former working vessel.