Scale: 1:24 A contemporary full hull plank on frame model of a swim headed spritsail rigged Thames sailing barge, mounted on a wooden oval shaped plinth. It is fully rigged with partially original sails, which have been restored, and largely modern rigging. There is a large windlass on the foredeck mainly used for lowering the mast when ‘shooting’ a bridge to progress up and downstream of rivers. On either side of the hull are two large leeboards, which can be lowered down to act as a keel and prevent the hull from being blown sideways when under sail. There is also an additional mast and sail stepped on the rudder head which helps with the steering of the flat and heavy hull when under sail. The small afterdeck is raised to aid the helmsman for purchase and sighting when using the large tiller. The midsection of these barges is virtually square and flat which allows it to settle safely when the river and estuarial banks have dried out at low water, enabling the loading and unloading of cargo. The sprit rig is ideally suited to both river and estuarial waters as the high peak of the sail is held up by the sprit, which allows the barge to catch the wind not in the lee of the bank.

At this scale, this model represents a vessel measuring sixty feet in length by twenty-four feet in the beam.