Features / balmoral
Messing about on the river
Meet some of the boating community who live, work and play on Bristol’s Floating Harbour – whatever the weather.
is needed now More than ever
Batel Magen: Lives on a houseboat on Bristol Marina
“We’ve lived in the Marina for 11 years, but we’ve been on this particular boat since 2010. Before that my husband and I were on a narrow boat, but we upgraded when children came along.
“11 years ago when we were in our early twenties we wanted to be together but we couldn’t afford to buy a house. We came across the Marina as it’s so central and found a narrow boat for sale, and we just decided that we wanted something new in our lives.
“We had the money for the boat and I think we just fell in love, firstly with the way of life, secondly with the financial savings that it allows, and thirdly with the community.”
“When we decided that we wanted to have a family we still couldn’t really afford the house that we wanted, plus we wanted to stay central and we love the way of life, so we designed our new boat. Usually people who are dedicated to boat life end up designing their own boats – it’s different to a house, the boat sort of becomes part of the family because it’s so personal.
“Most of the residents at this Marina have been living here for a really long time; it’s like a little community. You can’t be very tall though – if you’re taller than 6’2” you’ll have a problem!”
Luke Dunstan: Bristol Packet
“The Bristol river is flowing through me. I’ve been involved in boats since I was one-years-old. I was almost brought up on the Tower Belle. There is a front cabin and I spent a lot of time asleep in that cabin while there were parties going on above me.
“I’ve spent a lot of time up and down this river working on all our boats but particularly on the Tower Belle which is a beautiful 1920s classic river cruiser.
“The outdoor experience is the best bit of working on the boats. Being outside all the time and the community which we have around the city docks – everyone knows each other – it’s very friendly.”
“There was the summer of 2012, when the whole of June and July was a complete washout and I got a bit tired of putting on my foul weather gear. It does get to you a bit but being British we put on a brave face and everyone makes the most of the situation – we keep smiling.”
Martin Seymour: Volunteer on the Pride of Bristol
“She’s not quite an historic vessel as she was built in 1983, but she’s 33 which is quite a long time for a vessel like this.
“We are a designated training ship for the Royal Navy reserves. We man it and provide a facility for sea, army, air cadets and schools – the next generation.
“For people like me and some of the others who are of a Navy background we have spent all of our life working on ships – suddenly it’s gone when you retire, so this keeps your feet wet.”
“There is a group of 20 to 40 volunteers who work on the boat. It takes a reasonable amount of time to keep it going. This time of year we don’t tackle big things as the boat goes out. We work all day on Wednesdays maintaining and repairs and in the winter we come down at the weekend.
“It’s pure enjoyment messing about on the boat – even better when we go up and down the river on a training day.”
Michael Sergison and Will Smith: Bristol Ferry Boats
Will: “I’ve worked on the boast for 12 years. I left school at 16 and turned up here at the right time. We are like a big family.
“It’s lovely working on the boats. People are happy on boats – on buses they are indifferent but on a boat they smile.
“My favourite route is Hotwells – there is a lot going on on the water and visitors can see the history of the harbour and the big boats – the ss Great Britain and the Balmoral.”
Michael: “I’ve been working for the ferries for a year – before that I worked in a coffee shop and I’ve never worked with boats.
“I love Bristol and when the tourist come on board it’s a great opportunity to chat to people, find out what they are interested in and tell them about the city.”
Simon Strain: Mr Brunel on the ss Great Britain
“I was working in schools and I had worked as an actor but I had never had my big break. When I saw the advertisement (to play Isambard Kingdom Brunel) I had never been to the ship and didn’t know my about Brunel
“I had an interview, six of us went through to the next round and a X-Factor style vote-off. I was fortunate enough to be picked. I’m now in my fifth year and it’s amazing. There is no job quite like it – I smile every time I see her. You are on a a piece of real world heritage, there is no where like this in the world and it’s a real privilege – you get to share amazing history with people from all over the world.”
“In some ways it’s easier to get into character when it’s wet and windy because that is what the conditions were like when she was out at sea.
“I had a beautiful moment when I came in one winter morning – there were sheets of rain and the wind was howling. As I walked up alongside her in the dockyard,you could hear her creaking and groaning in the wind and, for a moment, it was as if she was remembering her life at sea – I’m not really a sentimental guy but it was a very special moment.”
Rick Wakeham: Skipper of The Matthew
“The skipper contract came up three years ago and, as I live right on the doorstep (on a barge) and I was qualified for it, I thought I’d have a go.
“The Matthew is a representation of what they think the original may have looked like. There is a lot of education involved in the trust – a lot of people don’t know about the Matthew and Cabot including Bristolians.”
“There’s nothing easy about it – there is a lot of hard work that goes into keeping her going and she costs £100k a year just to stay still. The ship is fully licensed – the sails are on and ready to go this year. The day-to-day trips are our bread and butter and the festivals and the films are the cream.
“If someone would fund it we’d go to Venice. I’ve been to France in her and we did filming for Disney last year – when the phone rings you never know what you’ll be doing and that’s part of the attraction.”
Richard da Costa: Floating Harbour Films is based on a Dutch barge on Welsh Back
“We bought the barge four years ago from Bristol Ferries. I was walking round the harbour with my wife and said wouldn’t it be lovely to work on a boat and that was the start of it. Then I heard that this boat was up for sale.
“You see the brutality of the wildlife and what it does to survive daily. You count the cygnets and the ducklings everyday – then you see the seagulls swooping down and the numbers reduce by one and you hope the rest will get big enough to survive.
“You see all the boat traffic going past your windows and you have to get very good at waving.
There is a fairly massive amount of upkeep. However, it’s worth it as there is no better place to work. You come in in the morning and it’s calm, then it gets busy and you see the world go by, then everyone leaves and late at night the lights are reflected in the water and it’s absolutely still and beautiful.”
www.floatingharbourfilms.co.uk
Nigel Coombes: Volunteer on the Balmoral
“During the winter months I varnish handrails and seats – the Balmoral has kept me fully employed ever since my retirement! We have 25 volunteers working on her twice a week. It’s such a thrill to do this and see all the winter work made worthwhile.”
“We are thrilled to be back on the water and to wave down to the people who have come out to see us – one of our commitments is to the city of Bristol, to keep it in the public eye and to further it’s maritime heritage.
“We are the last big ship that is actually registered in Bristol (except the Matthew) and we can sail all around Britain on some really interesting voyages – hopefully we can keep Bristol’s maritime heritage up to scratch.”
Photo credits: Shutterstock, Bristol Packet