Lady Daphne Sailing Experience
22, 28 and 29 Aug 2025
Step aboard an historic Thames sailing barge and truly experience the age of sail.
Sailing from Thunderbolt Pier, this stretch of the river oozes with history and there will be plenty to see as the barge sails along the River Medway. The Skipper and crew will share tales from the Dockyard as we sail, using the wind and tide to propel the barge as centuries of sailors experienced in centuries gone by.
A Thames sailing barge is the ideal platform to experience these sights from, with plenty of deck space and a comfortable hold to explore.
You will be invited to lend a hand setting the sails and are welcome to take a turn at the wheel – a rare chance to handle a large vessel under sail.
Once aboard, refreshments are available to purchase, including hot and cold drinks, a selection of coastal beers, Kent wines and local spirits.
The experience lasts around 80 minutes, with a little variation depending on conditions on the day.
Tickets are available to book online. A valid Dockyard admission ticket is also required.
USEFUL INFORMATION
| Dates | 22, 28 and 29 August 2025 |
| Times | 10.30am, 12pm, 1.50pm and 3.20pm (80-minute tours) |
| Location | Sailing from Thunderbolt Pier (accessed via the Helipad Car Park, near the Wagon Stop) |
| Cost | £18 for adults £15 for children. A valid Dockyard admission ticket is also required. |
Lady Daphne History
Sailing Barge Lady Daphne was commissioned in 1921 to be built by Short Bros on behalf of David and Stanley Bradley, of Thomas Watson (Shipping). When the barge was launched in 1923, David named it after his newly born first child, Daphne. Ultimately, David and his wife Lillian had four children, the eldest, Daphne, followed by John, Mary and Peter
The Lady Daphne transferred to Lillian Bradley on the death of her husband David in 1928. Lillian sold Lady Daphne to R&W Paul, the Ipswich maltsters, in 1937.
While technically going through a number of R&W Paul companies, Lady Daphne was with the maltsters till her sale to Taylor Woodrow and St Katharine’s Yacht Haven in 1973, before being sold to Elisabeth and Michael Mainelli in 1996, with the latter becoming Lord Mayor of London in 2024.
Lady Daphne was known as the “lucky Lady Daphne” for an extraordinary incident. On Boxing Day 1927 the skipper was washed overboard in a gale and two crew abandoned her off the Cornish coast, but Lady Daphne, guided by the skipper’s canary, sailed herself through the rocks of the Scilly Isles onto a few tens of yards of safe sand. In the 1920’s she acquired a reputation as “the fastest barge in the three channels”. Lady Daphne has been associated for a quarter of a century with the redevelopment of St Katharine’s by the Tower and was a famous London fixture – the Queen Mother has visited her; numerous articles have covered her sailing ability; she has appeared in plenty of film and television shows.
In April 2025, having laid in Cornwall for several years with an uncertain future, she was purchased by Tiller & Wheel in partnership with the Intra Maritime Heritage project to become their flagship as they seek to re-establish Medway as the home for historic sail.
