Humber keels and sloops are a part of Britain’s maritime and industrial heritage, COMRADE and AMY HOWSON are a part of the national collection of historic vessels being rare surviving examples of the two types of craft specifically designed and rigged to sail the  canals, rivers and estuarial waters of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire efficiently.

Our site will exhibit all kinds of archive material about keels and sloops, as well as photos and accounts of our activities during the many years that the HUMBER KEEL AND SLOOP PRESERVATION SOCIETY (HKSPS) has painstakingly restored and sailed these two Humber ships.

But the ships are not just museum pieces, they’re a living part of the local scenery. Every summer they sail the Humber and its tributary rivers the Trent and the Ouse. Although COMRADE and AMY HOWSON have engines fitted, the crew are keen to do as much under sail as the conditions of the day will allow.

To promote their historical significance, by raising awareness of the important role they played in the local transport system, the work they did and the way of life aboard

To pass on the skills required to maintain and sail these vessels so that future generations can continue the experience first hand