North West Organisations offering Gaff Rig Sailing
There are a large number of opportunities to sail gaff rig boats in the North West
Organisations such as Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust and Hearts of Oak offer the chance to sail in a historic gaff rig boat without the need of having to own a boat, At many of the sailing clubs below they should be opportunities to help crew a boat. At Glenridding you can learn to sail a gaff rig boat or hire one
The below organisations have gaff rig boats,
Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust
Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust, a charity own Spray, a prawner built in Arnside in 1896 for John Gardiner a Morecambe fisherman. At the turn of the 19th century the fleets of around 100 prawners at Morecambe, Fleetwood and Merseyside. Morecambe Bay Prawners with designed to cope with the shallow waters of the North West Coast. The growth of fishing on the North West Coast was fuelled by the railways that enabled a perishable catch to be transported to the growing towns of the North West.
The Trust plan to offer a regular summer sailing programme on Spray in Morecambe Bay.
For more details see their website https://morecambebayprawnertrust.org
Hearts of Oak Boat Trust
The Trust own Hearts of Oak, a prawner built in Ulverston in 1912. She is kept at Roa Island near Barrow. There are opportunities to go out on the boat and help maintain her.
For more info see their facebook site https://www.facebook.com/heartsofoakboattrust
Contact heartsofoak1912@gmail.com
Arnside Sailing Club - Severn & Jabberwocky
Arnside Sailing Club own Severn, a Royal Mersey Rivers Class yacht and Jabberwocky, a Gaffling dinghy,
Severn was restored at the cost of £160,000 between 2022 and 2026 by David Moss Boatbuilders at Skippool near Blackpool. The restoration was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders., The Sailing Club keep Severn at Roa Island near Barrow..
By joining the club, there are opportunities to help sail Severn and go out in Jabberwocky. The club is a charity, whose aims include promoting Arnside's maritime heritage and introducing young people to sailing,
More info https://arnsidesailingclub.co.uk
NOA Classic Boats
NOA Classic Boats (Nobby Owners Association) was set up in 1987was set up to encourage the continual use and restoration of traditional Morecambe Bay Prawners, Lancashire Nobbies, They own Pride of Liverpool, one of the boats made from mould of the Sir William Priestley, the Morecambe Fisherman's Lifeboat. The Pride of Liverpool is currently being restored by volunteers at Tarleton between Preston and Southport. They also be opportunities to crew in memmbers' boats.
For more info https://nobbyowners.co.uk
Wallasey Yacht Club
Wallasey Yacht Club sails historic wooden Seabird Half Rater class yachts on the River Mersey at New Brighton on the Wirral, just across the water from Liverpool. Seabird Half Raters dating from 1899 are one of the oldest surviving one-design boats still racing in the UK,
For more info http://www.wallaseyyachtclub.co.uk
Hoylake Sailing Club
Hoylake Sailing Club on the Wirral sail the Operas which are lug rigged (high peaked lug sloop) boats dating from 1902.
For more info https://www.hoylakesc.org.uk/
South Windermere Sailing Club
South Windermere have an active fleet of gaff rig boats. They offer a programme of cruising events for gaff rig boats.
For more info https://www.swsailing.co.uk
Ribble Cruising Club, Lytham
Ribble Cruising Club have an active fleet of gaff rig boats, including whammels and shrimpers. The Club offers storage for smaller boats and in Lytham Creek moorings for sea going vessels,
For more info http://ribblecruisingclub.org.uk
Glenridding Sailing Centre, Ullswater
There is a large fleet of gaff rig boats based at Glenridding Sailing Centre, including Lune Whammels and Post Boats.
You can learn to sail on a gaff rig boat or hire one,
Ullswater Yacht Club
The Gaffling Championship in 2025 and OGA 60th Rally was held at the Club in 2023. The Club gives access to some of the most scenic sailing in the Lake District. It has a number of members with gaff rig boats. There is on site camping.
More info https://ullswateryachtclub.org
Windermere Jetty Museum
Windermere Jetty Museum tells the boating history of the lake. The lake was at the forefront of boat design with rich Victorian industtrialists competing to have the best boat, Its collections includes gaff rig boats, including Arthur Ransome's Coch-y-bonddhu, a Windermere 17 yacht and the boats from 2016 Swallows and Amazons film.
For more info https://lakelandarts.org.uk/windermere-jetty-museum/