Trading

A two-masted schooner sailed into our old harbour today carrying a cargo of Breton cider, onions, salt and French wine.  The enterprise has been established both to provide people with sailing experience but also aims to re-establish old trading links along the western seaboard. 

"Celtic Coasts Sail and Trade, a Community Benefit Society, has established connections between Brittany, Wales, Ireland and Scotland to support traditional boat building skills and offer people the experience of sailing traditional wooden boats whilst supporting local growers, makers and producers. Their voyages are also a means of revitalising coastal harbours through sailing and trading."


The trading aspect appealed to me and I thought I'd take it literally. I picked  a basketful of beans, greens and a giant leek. We walked down to the harbour where the schooner Vilma was tied up and its goods displayed on the quay in rustic fashion.  My vegetables were greeted with delight and exchanged for a bottle of Breton cider.
 Nobody else  was bartering, just plain old paying with money or cards.  But perhaps another time?  This could be the start of something new old.

The weather came up trumps for once and it was a great social occasion; we lost count of the number of friends and acquaintances we met. The holiday makers had vanished overnight and local folk were enjoying getting the community back.


Some extra pics of the schooner (originally built in Denmark as a fishing vessel in1934), its goods and crew.