THIS year is an important landmark in the life of one of the very last wooden merchant sailing vessels to have built in the south west.
The Garlandstone, a 75 ton ketch which lies in the great dock at Morwellham Quay, will be 100 years old this year. She is a rare survivor from the hundreds of similar ships that were commonplace a century ago.
She was built speculatively at James Goss's yard at Calstock, her construction being spread over a period of four years when other work was slack. Many of her main timbers, especially those of oak, are believed to have come from the nearby Cotehele estate which lost many ancient trees in the great blizzard of 1891.
Barry Gamble, interim director at Morwellham, who is supervising the regeneration of the historically important site, said: 'The Garlandstone is perfectly at home here, she is central both as an impressive exhibit and also to an understanding of the fascinating story of this once world famous port. We look forward to providing an appropriate home for other wooden vessels of similar vintage.'
The building of the Garlandstone is unusually well recorded in contemporary photographs taken of the Calstock viaduct which was being erected at the same time — Goss's yard is situated under its arches. It was the arrival of this railway which was to sound the death knell of the river traffic on which the Tamar barges and trading vessels depended.
The Garlandstone had a varied and active commercial life and was still trading in the 1950s, when she laid up and abandoned at Barmouth in Wales.
She was saved from being lost as wreck by two enthusiasts, who lavished affection and funds on her and eventually helped establish the Gwyneth Maritime Museum at Porthmadoc with the restored ship as its focus. She was then bought by the National Museum of Wales which has gifted her to the Morwellham and Tamar Valley Trust.
The Garlandstone is in the expert care of Will Stirling, Morwellham's resident ship keeper, who is currently building a new replica rowing cutter for Nelson's flagship Victory. Visitors to Morwellham can see work in progress on these and other vessels — the long term intention is to make the quay a centre of traditional ship building skills.