If ever you need proof that progress does not always mean improvement, you only need to think of the graceful, gaff rigged wherries that were the forerunner of today's motorway truck.
Right up to the middle of the 19th century and the coming of the railways, as many as 300 of these distinctive craft carried goods along the rivers of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.
Their distinctive, almost square shaped, gaff sails probably evolved from the Viking influence that was strong all along the east coast, and is particularly effective on the broads, where tree lined sections of river would allow very little wind to power a vessel with the more usual triangular sail.
They were broad of beam and flat bottomed, to cope with the shallow broads. In order to navigate swiftly under the bridges, the masts were hinged at the bottom and counterbalanced with a 1 1/2 ton lead weight. This allowed the mast to be quickly lowered and raised again.
With a good wind the wherry was a very fast vessel, capable of sailing close to the wind. However, when the wind was from the wrong direction or - rare occasions, on this flat coastal region - when it stopped completely, the boats had to be "quanted".
Quanting, is similar to punting on the river, but there the similarity ends, because a wherry is no punt you would take on the river for a lazy afternoon picnic.
A quant is a very heavy, very sturdy pole about 24 feet (7.3 metres) long which was dug into the river bed at the bow of the boat. It would then be necessary to walk the entire length of the vessel pushing hard against the pole in order to move it on.
No time or space was wasted on the wherries and they would make a trip to, say, Norwich, up the River Bure, laden with reeds for thatching and return equally laden with coal, grain, timber and even horse manure to spread on the fields.
With the coming of the railways, demand for the transport of goods by wherry declined sharply. Happily, the railways brought salvation for the wherry, in the form of tourists. So the shrewder owners, quickly converted their vessels to carry passengers, rather than merchandise.
Initially wherries were still in demand for transport around areas not served by the new railways. However, even these were overtaken, eventually, as the roads throughout the area were improved to cater for the even new method of transport - the car and the lorry.
During the Second World War, the demise of the wherry was hastened, when many were sunk in the broads to deny enemy seaplanes the ability to land on the water as a prelude to invasion.
After the war, so low had the regard for wherries sunk that, in the 1960s, several were scuttled in Ranworth Broad to form a breakwater to protect the river bank.
Happily, more enlighten attitudes prevailed by the 1980s and one of the clinker built vessels, Maude, was raised again from Ranworth Broad and, after restoration lasting nearly twenty years, she entered the 21st century fully restored and now sails the broads along with her sister ship, the Albion.
The Albion, is unique among the original working wherries, being carvel built, where the boards are not overlapped, as with the more usual clinker built vessels and so has a smooth hull, for greater speed.
There are three younger wherries, often seen on the broads in summer. These are so called "pleasure wherries", and were purpose built for their owners. These are not the hard working wherries of the previous century, but magnificent creations in dark brown mahogany and teak, which contrasts beautifully with the pristine white of their hulls.
The most luxurious of these is the Hathor, which was built in 1905 for Ethel and Helen, the daughters of Jeremiah Colman, who made his money in nearby Norwich from Colman's Mustard. To this day, the local football team have bright yellow shirts and are known as the "Canaries", in recognition of the wealth this industry brought to the area.
Hathor's decor - as was the fashion at the time - follows an Egyptian theme, with the luxurious interior panelled in sycamore wood with Egyptian symbols inlaid in contrasting brown teak wood. This vessel is now owned by Wherry Yacht Charter.
In the summer Hathor is chartered by the Broads Authority for a few weeks and sails the broads along with two other pleasure wherries, Norada and Olive, stopping at various venues where members of the public can take short trips to experience the unique experience of sailing on these magnificent vessels.
Copyright 2006 Norfolk Broads Explorer
Related articles:
Arthur Ransome And The Norfolk Broads