Scale: 1:72. A modern exhibition full hull model of the barquetine ‘Waterwitch’ (1871). It is fully rigged with all the sails set and shows the deck cleared, the hatches battened down and the boats covered and stowed ready for going to sea. The ‘Waterwitch’ became almost a legend during its eventful career, having suffered collisions, considerable weather damage, and an attempted torpedo attack during the First World War. Measuring 112 feet in length by 25 feet in the beam and a tonnage of 206 gross, it spent the first 38 of its 46 years afloat carrying coal from the North East coast to Portsmouth. As a result, it established a great reputation for the consistency of its voyages, averaging 12 days on a round trip, an outstanding performance for a vessel of its type.

The ‘Waterwitch’ became almost a legend during its eventful career, having suffered collisions, considerable weather damage, and an attempted torpedo attack during the First World War. Measuring 112 feet in length by 25 feet in the beam and a tonnage of 206 gross, it spent the first 38 of its 46 years afloat carrying coal from the North East coast to Portsmouth. As a result, it established a great reputation for the consistency of its voyages, averaging 12 days on a round trip, an outstanding performance for a vessel of its type.

In 1916 the ‘Waterwitch’ went aground in the entrance to Newlyn, Cornwall, and eventually sank in the harbour. It was later raised in 1918, repaired and re-rigged and re-employed by Edward Stephens of Fowey. Its crew was often partly made up from seamen holding a foreign Master’s Certificate. These men were applying to enter the Trinity House Pilotage Service, which required their applicants to have a minimum sea time in square-rigged vessels. As the only vessel sailing from a homeport to hold that distinction, it never lacked a crew. The ‘Waterwitch’ remained under British ownership until 1939 when it was sold to Estonian owners for service in the Baltic timber trade. Its last recorded year of service was 1948.

There is also another larger-scale model (SLR0051) of this vessel in the collection which depicts it at anchor with the sails stowed and is ready to receive cargo from smaller boats alongside.