Crossfields Conference

Conference about Crossfields Boat Builders of Arnside and the different boats they built.

Crossfields were leading builders of Morecambe Bay Prawners and yachts from 1840s to the 1940s. Boats built by Crossfields include  Arthur Ransome's Swallow., Arnside Sailing Club's Severn and  Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust's Spray. There are at least two Crossfields boats in the Mediterranean and one on the West Coast of America.

Boat Launch 1934 - Nanette

The programme will include talks about 

a) History of Morecambe Bay Prawners and how they were used for fishing by Maurice Evans and Nick Miller. Maurice is a leading historian of Morecambe Bay Prawners and Nick has written a book about Lancashire Nobbies.

b) Arnside Sailing Club's Severn, her history and restoration. Severn was one of 10 Rivers Class Yachts built by Crossfields for the Royal Mersey Yacht Club. She is currently being restored by David Moss at Skippool funded by grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders and donations

c) Spray -  Built in 1896. Owned by the Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust. It is planned to keep her at Morecambe during the summer 

Pacific Moon 1931 (Skipper and crew)

d) Pacific Moon, a Crossfield's boat that sailed to Tahiti in 1931/2 . Talk by Mike Beckett, the OGA President. Mike owns Bonita, which was built by Crossfields in Arnside in 1888.

e) Molly (Nahula) built in 1914 for a Lancaster doctor. Now kept in Spain. From 1950s to 1970s Molly was owned by Selwyn Hooley, who owned a chain of cinemas in Chorley keeping her at Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club and then Ribble Cruising Club at Lytham.

Molly in 2018, Spain

f) Helen II -  a 40 foot prawner based in Conway owned by the James Roddick Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust. Helen II was built in 1910. She is one of three Helens built for George Stonall of New Brighton. She won the fishing boat race in the 1914 Royal Mersey Regatta, which Severn took part in. Since acquiring the boat in 2009 the Trust have completely rebuilt her with the help of volunteers and students, putting her back in the water in 2022.

 Helen II

The conference will include a buffet lunch.

Conference starts at 1030 with doors open from 10am

Social Programme

Pre Conference - Fri 21st Nov

The Sailing Club in the Old Customs House on the Promenade will be open from 9pm

Conference Supper - Sat 22 Nov  6.30 pm

Evening meal (fish, meat and vegetarian options)

Concert by Lune Tide - Sat 22 Nov  8.30 pm

Lune Tide

Evening concert by Lunetide, featuring the Severn Song, which was written by Mike Greenwood from Glasgow,  Lunetide are a folk duo based in Sunderland Point, an eighteenth century village and quay south of Lancaster approached by a tidal road. Mike Greenwood's uncle was a friend of Joe Wallace who owned Severn in the 1920s.

Any surplus will go towards the upkeep of Severn and Spray