[Tomvart]

Very Interesting Alaric, I am intrigued with the reason for making a sternboard out of the River Tyne?

A little nerve wracking, even in a ship you were fully familiar with, let alone a new ship on Sea Trials! The menacing Black Middens lying submerged off the north shore at high water - waiting to rip the guts out of any unsuspecting ship.......The Middens have claimed many a ship over the years - many old wives tales locally of a satanic influence - either way...not something I would want to get past going astern!

I spent a great deal of my childhood in that area, I recall that those rocks are quite dreadful and always used to spook me as a youngun - maybe it was the scary tales from my North Shields born Granny that did it for me - but I was always 'a bit scared' when entering or leaving the Tyne.