The Rhoda Mary Project is a Registered Charity (No.1165423) which plans to retrieve the remains of the renowned West Country topsail schooner Rhoda Mary, built at Point in Devoran in 1868, and return them to Cornwall for possible reconstruction to her original state. In the process, training and educational opportunities in wooden ship construction and associated trades will be provided to young people.

Merchant schooners were once a familiar sight around the Cornish coast, carrying Cornishmen on trading journeys around the globe and famed for their elegance and speed. Indeed, in the mid-19th century, the bulk of Great Britain’s trade- 4.2 million tonnes in 1860- was carried in merchant schooners and large numbers of these ships were built in the West Country, financed by their local communities. A film about the ship and the family who built her has already been made and educational materials are available to be used in schools to tell the story of the Rhoda Mary and the vessels like her.

The Rhoda Mary project is seeking funding to complete the educational and information work begun with Storylines following a Memory Day in Devoran last year which gathered a significant amount of material on the ship, her builders and crew. These films can be viewed at: http://www.storylines.org.uk/project/merchant-schooner-memories/.

Grant funding has been applied for to provide the significant resources required to carry out the recovery of the remains from the banks of the River Medway. In anticipation of this the Project needs financial help to employ a part time staff member to deal with the constant flow of enquiries that has been generated both from the people of Cornwall, the international classic sailing ship community and members of the Cornish diaspora across the world who have connections with the ship, the family and the county. This significant pool of talent and interest will be essential in our plans to bring this great Cornish lady home to our base in Truro.