Features / boats
The Bessie Ellen sails home the goods
The Bessie Ellen, one of the last surviving West Country trading ketches, is currently sailing from Portugal towards Bristol, bringing with it a cargo of wine, olive oil, almonds, chestnuts and salt.
Bristol’s Portuguese wine importers, Xisto Wine and New Dawn Traders, a sail cargo initiative, are working with the management team at Underfall Yard to commemorate the event that sees the ancient trade links between Bristol and Portugal restored.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHbwGdj8aI/?taken-by=bessie_ellen
is needed now More than ever
The ship, that was once part of a fleet of 700 in the early 1900s, now offers sailing holidays and sail training courses alongside cargo voyages after being restored by proud owner Nikki Alford. “The ship is one amongst a growing number in Europe and around the world that are nurturing a renaissance in craftsmanship from the construction and maintenance of traditional ships, to the art of sailing cargo without an engine,” she says.
The venture is a move towards a more eco-friendly way to transport goods and also means the imported wine is actually bottled in Bristol. “The wind powered transportation method makes our wines almost local!” says Anton Mann of Xisto Wines.
The Bessie Ellen’s journey also promotes ethical trading, with potential buyers of the ship’s cargo paying upfront for the produce and collecting it straight from the ship.
“This is an experiment in rethinking how we trade,” says Alex Gledenhuys of New Dawn Traders. “Everyone is invested in the voyage. The savings from no longer needing onward distribution, storage or retail marketing are passed on to the buyer. By making quality products affordable and still paying the producer a fair price, we can grow a market for ethical produce, shipped by sail, one community at a time.”
Bristol will become one of several ports forming a small but growing trading network that connects producers and buyers with sailing cargo ships.
The Bessie Ellen is due to arrive in Bristol on Saturday, October 27 2018. Find out more about the journey at www.bessie-ellen.com
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
