Sherry boats were once used to transport goods and passengers on the River Thames and inland waterways. They evolved from the Norfolk Keel and came in two types: commercial and pleasure. They were identified by their unique designs and were eventually replaced by modern transportation. Many were transformed into pleasure resorts and some have been restored for tourism.
A sherry is a flat-bottomed boat that was once widely used to carry passengers and goods on the River Thames and East Anglia’s inland waterways. It evolved from the Norfolk Keel, an old type of ship from the Middle Ages. There were two main types of cherries, commercial and pleasure.
Trade fairs played an important role in commerce in the days before railroads. A sherry cargo ship could carry several tons of cargo back and forth along waterways and canals to waiting ships at sea. These sherry boats varied in size according to the size of the waterways they traversed, ranging from 12 feet (3.66 m) six inches (15.24 cm) by three feet (0.915 m) six inches (15.24 cm) to 54 feet ( 16.47 m) by 12 feet (3.66 m) eight inches (20.32 cm).
A sherry cargo ship usually had a black painted hull, black painted sails, and a white painted bow. The black color of the hull and sails was intended to protect the boat from the effects of dust and dirt, while the white bow ensured easy visibility of the ship. The bow was built long and flying to facilitate landing at a time when there were few or no landing stages along the waterways.
Cargo ships usually had specifically designed or decorated wind vanes and mast caps as forms of identification. People could tell who owned a particular sherry by looking at its unique neck design or vane design. In addition to cargo holds, there were smaller sherry rowboats used to carry passengers across rivers and canals.
Rowboat fairs usually had two boatmen rowing at each end. These ships were especially popular in Elizabethan times and continued in use until the 19th century. The advent of more modern transportation and extensive bridge construction ended the mass appeal of the rowboat.
Modern forms of transportation, such as the railroad, also abolished the use of cargo holds. Seeing their traditional source of income dwindle, many commercial female owners entered the booming tourism industry and transformed their boats into pleasure resorts. The trade fairs were redesigned to have galleys, mess halls and living quarters in place of the cargo hold and seating areas were installed on the decks.
Next, steam cherries and yacht-like cherries appeared on the spot and found a following. Their day had passed, however, and maintaining the floats on a large scale soon became an economic burden. In modern times, the cellars are owned by sailing enthusiasts and sailing clubs, or have been restored and used for the tourist industry.
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