The Thames Sailing Barge Trust, a volunteer-run charity, offers public sailing cruises and private charters on two historic Thames barges, Pudge and Centaur, from Maldon's Blackwater estuary in Essex. These vessels, including Centaur which was built in 1895, can be hired for groups of up to 12 people, or individuals can book a berth on one- to three-day public cruises. The Trust also organises events such as children's art days throughout the year.
Barry Pearce, 86, is one of the surviving skippers who delivered freight on the Thames by sailing barge until the 1960s and is now a volunteer with the Trust. The Trust provides training in skills needed to maintain the barges and offers free training for future skippers, though this typically requires 2,000 hours or 10 years to complete.
Maintaining these barges is costly, with annual expenses ranging from £30,000 to £100,000 per vessel. The Trust has been awarded £28,090 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop a bid for £4 million needed to restore Centaur. Sourcing suitable timber for repairs, such as pitch pine from the Mississippi basin, is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive.