A trow was a type of cargo boat foun in the past on the River Severn in England and used to transport goods. The mert could be taken down so that the trow could go under bridges, such as the bridge at Worcester and the many bridges up and downstream. The mast was stepped in a three sided frame open at the rear but closed with an iron pin or rope lashing. From the top of the mast a forestay ran down to the bow winch. To lower the mast the pin was removed and the winch slackened off to let the mast fall towards the stern. The reverse operation pulled the mast up. One such Trow, called "Joan", was owned by a timber merchant called Oliver Luff. He used her to bring timber from Tintern, Monmouthshire into 'The Back' now called 'Welsh Back' in Bristol's Floating Harbour, where he owned two timber yards. A pub, the Llandoger Trow is situated in Bristol. Trows were sea-worthy, as with an added keel they could take 90 tons of salt from Droitwich to France across the English Channel. The flat bottomed Trows sailed on the sea by hauling a twenty foot log of wood under the hull strapped with chains to give 'grip' and stop the hull sliding sideways.