Dawn Sailing Barge Trust Ltd

The Dawn Sailing Barge Trust was formed in 1996 when her old skipper could not bear the thought of his barge being left to rot where she sat in Hoo alongside others she had traded with for nearly 100 years. The aim of the Trust was to secure ownership, raise funds, return her to her home port of Maldon, restore and protect. All of the above was achieved and SB Dawn is good for another 100 years. Now it’s time for Dawn to get to work and play her part in helping give others a new horizon to aim for.   The Trust - Present   The DAWN Trust believes it has identified how its maritime heritage can now be employed to serve the more isolated coastal communities along the Essex Coast & Rivers. This would be achieved by providing a dependable, regular and scheduled facility to be exploited as a community hub, for use by agencies specialising in wellbeing, with a particular focus on men’s wellbeing. The DAWN would berth for up to five days within each participating community, revisiting each port regularly all year round; offering the opportunity for social programmes designed to engage those seeking social interaction and support. This project has received funding from the Heritage Lottery enabling it to become one step closer to a reality.   The Trust - Future   Sustainable Propulsion The DAWN TRUST is engaged with a major regional University to design and develop an integrated electric propulsion system, that allows the boat to be operated electrically when wind is not available.  The DAWN will act as a floating test bench for students to actively engage in developing the operating algorithms required, and components employed.  It is anticipated that the developed systems will be marketed commercially through a joint venture.   This project to be launched in Q3 2024.