TC Lethbridge | The Sons of TC-Lethbridge | Tekh's Anthological Review

Some West-Country Coasters

Self-published, 1933

Some West-Country Coasters is a short pamphlet dedicated to Lethbridge’s observations from West-Country ports. It comprises of a collection of sketches drawn by Lethbridge in his own inimitable style. It is a very slim volume, comprised of only sixteen pages, every second one of being blank, therefore avoiding any show-through that might spoil the viewing of each illustration.

The six sketches include:

Schooners Mary B. Mitchell and Loch Ryan at Falmouth (dated: 14.8.32)
In a squall off Mullion (dated: 16.4.32)
Schooner Haldon off Lundy (dated: 30.3.33)
Ketch off Hartland (dated: 8.4.33)
Off Hartland (dated: 10.4.33)
eating out of Morte Bay (dated: 12.9.33)

As well as the 6 sketches, there is a brief introduction:

"It may seem strange that a man who has neither the experience of a seaman nor the skill of an artist should waste time and money on these sketches. So many of my friends, however, are fond of the sea, that it seems worthwhile to try to give them a few minutes' pleasure. They may be sure that however bad these drawings are, my photographs are infinitely worse. It is not so easy as one might think to get pictures of ships under sail. For one thing the number of British sailing coasters is falling fast. For another, unless one is in a position to chase them in a motorboat one hardly ever sees them close to, except near port. The West Country ports own the bulk of our sailing traders, if one excludes the Thames barges. These barges will probably last longer than our old friends the Ketch and Schooner, but they hardly seem so like our old idea of the sailing ship. So while for a brief time one may still watch the schooner's topsails coming up over the horizon, I think few people will grudge me the pleasure of lying on the cliff top with field-glass and sketch-book. The motor "Dutchman" is taking the place of our old friends. Ugly packets with too much sheer to be taking to the eye. I find it hard to understand the outlook of the Falmouth waterman to whom I was talking on the quay last year. There was a motor Dutchman beside us taking in a coastwise cargo that ought to have gone in one of our own vessels. "Oh, that's the old 'Mary B.'," he said of the "Mary B. Mitchell" which was lying near us. "Lucky to get a cargo too. Soon they will be all gone and a good thing too." Yet the old "Mary B." is a British ship and a fine little vessel. She was built by Rogers at Carrickfergus in 1892, and is registered as being 227 tons. She was fitted out as the Q.9, and in June, 1917, she fought an action with a German submarine and reported that she had sunk her. But we must not remember that strange little action in the Bay of Biscay, nowadays. It is all "peace at any price." So let the Dutchmen have the old "Mary B.'s" trade. Dear, good, kindly souls. It almost makes one want to become a politician."

← Shanty

From Dublin to Elsinore in a Sailing Ship →