Spirit of Britannia

1915

Spirit of Britannia is the most recent addition to our fleet and at 70 ft LOA and 40 tonnes, she is mid-way between Provident and Golden Vanity in size. She was built by the Worfolk Brothers in 1915; the largest smack to have been built in King’s Lynn, and she fished out of there for many years. Like Golden Vanity she is gaff cutter rigged, but carries almost as much sail — 2,500 sq ft – as Provident. She has accommodation for 13, including three crew.

The Rig

Spirit of Britannia is rigged now just as she was when she fished under sail early last century. She has a ‘Gaff Cutter’ rig. ‘Gaff’ indicates that the main sail is hoisted using a ‘gaff’, a spar attached to their upper side. ‘Cutter’ indicates that there is more than one headsail, making each sail easier to handle by a small crew. It is a very versatile and powerful rig, easy to handle in light airs and strong winds.

Vessel details

Official Number	726445
Port of Registry	Boston
Builder	Worfolk Bros, Kings Lynn, Norfolk
Date Launched	1915
Radio Call Sign	MGJW2
Gross Registered Tonnage	24.41
Net Registered Tonnage	22.78
Length Overall including spars	23.25 m	76′ 3″
Length of Hull	17.66 m	57′ 11″
Length of Waterline	15.90 m	52′ 2″
Maximum Beam	4.31 m	14′ 2″
Maximum Draft	2.3 m	7′ 7″
Working Sail Area	180 sq m	1940 sq ft
Maximum Sail Area	214 m2	2,303 ft2
Displacement	38.72 tonnes	38.12 tons
Engine – Volvo D3-130	96 kW	130 Hp