It was the sight dozens of onlookers had been waiting for - the return of the Dutch sailing vessel, Albatros to Wells harbour.
It was the sight dozens of onlookers had been waiting for - the return of the Dutch sailing vessel, The Albatros to Wells harbour.
The 33m-long ship had been undergoing its three-yearly maintenance at Great Yarmouth, and it returned on the morning tide on Friday, May 24, after 16 days away from home.
The 120-year-old sailing ship provides a nautical landmark for thousands of visitors to Wells, and is permanently moored alongside the quay and used as a bar, restaurant, music venue and B&B.
The former Dutch cargo ship, the last cargo ship to bring goods to Wells, was built in 1899 as a North Sea clipper and is one of the oldest sailing ships still afloat.
Captain Ton Brouwer said: "I'm very delighted to be back in Wells, as I've been working 16 days flat-out in Yarmouth.
"It was the first time in years that, as part of the maintenance, we had to replace some plates under the fo'c'sle , so we were at the Alicat Workboats shipyard longer than expected.
"We had to take the floor up, and clear and clean everything metal underneath, We needed to replace the plates and then weld them back, and it took a week longer than expected."
As part of the three-yearly maintenance, the ship's hull is cleaned with high-pressure washing.
Mr Brouwer added: "We put one coat of primer on, then two coats of anti-fouling paint.
"The ship covers a 200 sq m area so there's a lot of work to do.
"And we have to make sure the ship does not rust.
"I don't know how much it cost to insert the plates, as I've not had the bill yet, but they needed replacing.
"At certain places they were too thin.
"We cannot let the ship sink in Wells harbour.
"This is a 120-year-old ship and it needs to be in good condition."
It took nine hours for the ship to sail from Yarmouth to the fairway at Wells.
They then waited for the morning tide to bring her in. "We had a good easterly wind," he added.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here