Ploughboy
An Invited Friend of The Harrison Butler Association
The Gaff Rigged Cutter built in 1901
Ploughboy laid up for the winter, January 2020
Photograph by Martin Hansen
Ploughboy : 121 Year Old Beauty
I came across Ploughboy in January 2020 when visiting North Wales' wooden boat haven at Dickies in Bangor. She was on the hard, laid up for the winter. A passer by referred to Ploughboy as a Nobby; the word carrying the implication that she was originally built to be a fishing vessel. However, Nick Miller, author of The Lancashire Nobby, points out that although built to a Nobby design her commissioning owners had no intention to use her as a fishing boat. They wanted her for racing. So much so that they requested she be built with portable side decks. Cunningly, this meant she could complete in two classes in the regattas.
Internet searches reveal that Ploughboy is a well known boat and her history and pictures of her are to be found on, for example, the OGA website. I can add that she was hauled out at Conwy in Wales (my home port) and transported by road to Gillingham in Kent in 2014. It's good to see her back on the UK's west coast where, historically speaking, she belongs. In May 2021 she was up For Sale for £1000 as a project.
Other Nobby and Nobby related boats on this website include Anna Ellidi, Peggy, Harbringer, May, Juanita, Ziska, Naiad and Ethel.
Ploughboy's name on her starboard side, January 2020
Photograph by Martin Hansen
Ploughboy Statistics
Built : 1902 by William Crossfield & Sons in Arnside, Cumbria, England
LOA : 29' 0" (+ bowspit)
LWL : 26' 6"
Beam : 8' 0"
Draught : 4' 6"
Displacement : -- tons TM
Lloyd's Register : N° ------
National Historic Ship : N° ----
SSR : N° -----
OGA : N° 480
Fishing Boat : N° W86
Sail N° FD44
Signal Letters : ----
MMSI : ---------
Ploughboay Custodians & Home Ports
Xander Robertson (2017-2021...) Penrhyn, Bangor, Wales
Chris Powter (2012-2017) Gillingham, Kent, England
Robert (Bob) Raynor (2004-?) Fleetwood, Lancashire, England
Brian Parry (1978-?) Fleetwood, Lancashire, England
John Gill (1965-?) Fleetwood, Lancashire, England
H Footie Fleetwood Area,Lancashire, England
RS Taylor (?-1930-1931-?) Fleetwood Area, Lancashire, England
T Thompson (?-1922-?) Morecambe, England
J Thompson (1920s) Barrow, England
John Johnson (1901-1914) North Scales, Barrow-in-Furnace, England
Ploughboy Links
• Ploughboy on the OGA website
Page last updated : May 2021
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