BESSIE ELLEN

This original West Country trading ship was built in Plymouth in 1904 and has had a remarkable working life. She is part of the UK core collection of historic vessels, but Bessie Ellen is no museum ship. This tough wooden tall ship sails with charter crews around the UK and Europe and now has an ocean - worldwide safety certificate enabling her to seek warmer sailing grounds in winter and offer sailing holidays 11 months of the year. Bessie Ellen has recently tried her hand at carrying commercial wine cargoes (and still has a modern licence for carrying small cargoes), but this tough little wooden ship and her owner Nikki Alford are now back doing what they do best: Roving Uk and European Waters under sail with up to 12 guest crew.