Our Wackin Burd arrives

Here's a drawing of The Swan of the Exe under sail, and next to it is the newly arrived base for Starcross History's Wackin Burd. Thankyou Teignbridge District Council for this dinghy which is perfect for our project. She waits to be made resplendent with a swan's head, neck and wings, and masses of white plumage made from plastic milk bottles.

Lots of help needed, and more feathers please.

Since the message behind our TRAIL project is protest about plastic pollution of the oceans, it's appropriate (and easier )  that our thrown-away plastic boat remains bright blue and very obviously plastic. This makes stark contrast to Captain George Peacock's Swan of the Exe which was a luxurious, wooden yacht, painted white and gold; although her pennant, which she held in her beak, was blue.

 The Victorian poet Nathan Hogg described her in his 1886 poem A Turrabul Ryde be Rayle  …

Vur bigger thin a rick a hay
Thare zwim’d a wackin burd..

 in  Second Series of Nathan Hogg’s Letters and Poems:
 A New Series of Poems in the Devonshire Dialect including The Witch  Story of Mucksy Lane and The Kenton Ghost
Fourth Edition Enlarged. Dedicated by Permission to His Highness Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte.
London: John Russell Smith, 36, Soho Square.  Exeter:H. Baird (the author) 1, St Martin Street Opposite the Exeter Bank and all booksellers
 1886
Humeriss Poams; digitized by Google