Moored alongside the quay at Wells-next-the-Sea, the Albatros is rather more interesting than the average boat parked in the harbour. The Dutch North Sea clipper was built in 1899 at Capelle aan den IJssel, near Rotterdam, and spent much of its working life carrying cargo around northern Europe. Between 1990 and 1996 it became a regular visitor to Wells, bringing more than 100 cargoes of soya bean meal from the Continent. In September 1996 it sailed from Wells after delivering 100 tonnes from Rotterdam, marking the end of its career as a freight carrier and, remarkably, the final commercial voyage of a sail-driven cargo ship in Europe.
The Albatros later returned to Wells and acquired a rather gentler existence, becoming a floating bar, restaurant, music venue and accommodation, particularly known for Dutch pancakes and real ale. It left the town in 2020 for an extensive restoration at Maldon in Essex, finally returning to Wells in July 2023 after three years of work. As I know from Charters in Peterborough, there’s something rather exciting about having a real ale on a floating boat. For some years it was listed in the Good Beer Guide and was known for stocking a selection of beers from Woodfordes brewery.
Quite what’s happening now, I’m not sure. Jen offered to try and go and talk to the people on the boat, but Roy and I recoiled at that ridiculous level of social interaction so we meandered off quickly. It means this post ends without the benefit of investigative journalism, but with considerably less risk of having to introduce ourselves to strangers.