Tim Jepson
Tim has been a volunteer with the Thames Sailing Barge Trust since 1975 and, over the last 10 years, has specifically looked after the maintenance of the vessel Centaur, which was built in 1895. He spends most of his time keeping Centaur in good shape, throughout all seasons, and carries out much of his work on his own or leading a team of volunteers. During the pandemic, Tim has continued his volunteering on Centaur, replacing rotten deck timbers and replacing them with more sustainable timbers which will last for years to come. He has also managed the fitting of a new diesel tank for the vessel’s engine, as well as making sure she always looks her best. After the first lockdown, Tim had to arrange to re-rig Centaur and he carried out a long list of maintenance tasks, often on his own or with just a small team of helpers under his guidance. Centaur is a testament to Tim’s many years of hard work in that at 126 years of age she is still sailing and taking members of the public on memorable sailing trips.