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Elise - CK299 Built in 1885, and owned throughout by James 'Friday' Green, she was based in Wivenhoe and used for fishing and shrimping, and occasionally out of Grimsby too. Smack races were renowned and Elise won many trophies at the expert hands of 'Friday'. This photograph is reproduced from the Daily Mirror showing Friday Green at the helm of Elise in 1922. His name Friday came from being super-superstitious and he would never do anything on a Friday. He was born in Harwich in 1862 and died in Wivenhoe December 1928. The picture below shows Elise on the Wivenhoe water front in 1928 at the time of Friday Green's death. In keeping with the custom of the day, at the death of the skipper, the boat is rigged ready to go out and moored pointing down the river. At that time, the Quay would normally have had up to 40 fishing smacks moored bow onto the Quay.
Elise was eventually laid up in berth outside the Old Granary, where during the Second World War, she rotted and another Green, Ernie Green, broke her up.
Wivenhoe One Design No.17 was built at Brightlingsea for Friday's son Alec Green, who named her Elise after this smack. From 1937 up until 1970, Elise was sailed by three of Alec's three sons Ken, Peter and Doug.
'Friday' Green (from a photo owned by Alan Green) |
Fred Downing made a model replica of Elise about
1979 which is in the possession of his daughter. Another model of his, a
Thames Barge, can be
seen in the Nottage Institute.