A lovely old boat with a grubby past
Shamrock is considered to be the most advanced Tamar sailing barge ever built. She was named after the Irish challenger for the 10th America's Cup Race in 1899. She was designed to carry the maximum cargo at the lowest costs.
She spent her early working life moving manure, fertiliser, coal, bricks, sand and stone between the busy quays and harbours of Cornwall’s coast and rivers. Her design made it possible for the crew to discharge her cargo into horse-drawn carts on an open beach.
After a long, varied working life, that also included being a prospecting vessel and a diving tender, the 17.5m-long Shamrock ended up being used as a scrap iron store in Hooe Lake Plymouth.