It is always sad to see craft laid up ashore awaiting the return of an owner to carry on.
It is clear that very often these little ships are doomed. Ragged covers flutter around against hulls with peeling paint and open seams. Sometimes the covers no longer exist.
The collection shown are all up the River Deben at the Tide Mill marina. During my rambles with Christobel we saw many more at other yards – GRP vessels too.
I came across this Gull II class, I believe, designed by Maurice Griffiths. She has rot in her upper planking around the rigging plates. The cover is in tatters too…
In another part of the yard I came across this deep keeled – South Coast design?? – which was undergoing a refit. The cabin sides have been sanded back to bare … some years ago by the look of things. Plastic window covers have rotted and flutter in tatters where curtains should be.
Near to where Whimbrel was berthed I chatted to an owner of a large deep keeled wooden vessel. He was painting the hull in readiness for the water.
The chap has owned the little ship for about the length of the Covid-19 pandemic and is relishing getting her afloat and sailing. A number of repairs caused by the ingress of fresh water at the deck edges had been completed and the renewal of an area of side deck.
He chatted about the mast: the foot had been removed and was in process of being rebuilt. A repair at the hounds was underway too.
The yacht has an interesting past. The hull was built in Arcra, Ghana, in the mid 1960’s to Lloyds rules. A Scottish business group were the brokers and this particular vessel was initially shipped to (West) Germany and fitted out to owner’s specifications.
I walked away smiling…
Another smile swept my face when I came across a Yachting World Peoples Boat – a deep keeled version of the centre board model which was our first boat.
The boat was well covered and was essentially ready for the water.
Personally, I did not take to the method of keel construction with outer straps with a heavy chunk of ballast hanging on very long bolts.
While on a happy note, I remembered some pictures I took of a fine motor yacht ready for the water at my own club.
The boat arrived nearly three years ago and is now afloat. The owner has the cabin sides to deal with, but is progressing this on his mooring…
A fine little ship!
Her name – Swn y Mor.
Love to know more!
Well, within almost hours of posting, a sailor up the east coast based at Titchmarsh Marina came up with the goods!
The boat is remembered from a youth spent boating up the Thames beyond where most sailors go. I am told this boat is an ‘old friend’ and s highly likely to be an H. Gibbs built launch built in 1958. She had a dark blue hull, which the Island YC boat had upon arrival…
Old Lloyds yacht records give her length as 35′. She is on the historic ships register too.
Thank you Ian…