GIPSY CK79
Built
Brightlingsea
Builder
Aldous
Date
1930
Construction
Wooden Clinker
Dimensions
L 22’
Description
Sailing Oyster Bumpkin
Built by Aldous of Brightlingsea for Fred and Henry Banks of West Mersea.
Along with Boy George CK23, Gipsy is the one of two final examples of the sailing oyster bumpkins.
Built for oyster dredging her shape is very different from the Kidby built Boy George as she was a frequent visitor to the oyster men of Maldon where the oyster merchants Banks would be seen buying oysters from the Maldon oyster smacks.
She was owned by the Banks family until 2006 when Gerard Swift brought her. He sold her to Neil Moye in 2008 who commissioned Gerard to rebuild her with his wife Helen. Neil sold her back to Gerard in 2018 and she is an important member of the EWHB fleet.
To be continued..