Raybel wins National Historic Ships Award for Conservation Excellence 2025!

We’re absolutely thrilled to learn in November that Raybel Charters had won the 2025 Martyn Heighton Award for Excellence in Maritime Conservation from National Historic Ships UK

This recognition means a huge amount to us. Bringing the 1920 Thames sailing barge Raybel back into operational use has been a long, careful journey … three major phases of work, countless difficult decisions, and a commitment to retaining as much of her original fabric as possible. Our aim was always to honour her history while giving her the strength to sail again, and we’re proud that the project is being held up as an exemplar for transparent, thoughtful conservation.

None of this would have been possible without the incredible people around us.

A big thanks to National Historic Ships UK, for your guidance, encouragement, and for recognising the care and craft behind this project.

To our restoration crew, whose skill, patience, and persistence shaped every inch of Raybel’s return, this is your achievement.

And to our volunteers, who showed up, got stuck in, applied their incredible skills and knowledge and believed in this vessel as much as we do … thank you. Your energy and generosity kept this project moving, this is your achievement too!

Here’s to Raybel’s next chapter under sail, and to everyone who helped her get there