Wooden Boat Repairs
Telephone us on 078 3135 7606 or E-mail Derek@woodenboatrepairs.com
Our Latest Dunkirk Little Ship "Dorian"
We have now officially been appointed as overseers of the project to restore DORIAN to her "Dunkirk" state.
The work will be done by Officers and Ratings from HMS Collingwood and some enthusiasts from a local boatbuilding school. The plan is to have the vessel back in commission by her 100th anniversary in 2015.
This "Little Ship" is an ex Navy rowing pinnace built in 1915 that was converted to a "Gentleman's Yacht sometime between the wars. The picture to the left shows the hull extension (still painted green) added in the 1930's.
The positions of the rowing thwarts and stretchers are still visible even after the yacht conversion. Substantial changes had been made to create the quality finish required for a yacht which is how she went to Dunkirk. Unfortunately she has more recently sustained such severe damage from a fire that the vessel was nearly lost to us altogether. All the longitudinal strengthening timbers were gone, along with substantial parts of the superstructure and side deck.
It is the nations good fortune that the vessel came into the hands of "the Dunkirk Little Ship Trust" who have funded the renovation. The plan is to return her to the state in which she served so gallantly at Dunkirk, in other words as a yacht, not a pulling Pinnace, her original condition.
The work will be done by Officers and Ratings from HMS Collingwood and some enthusiasts from a local boatbuilding school. The plan is to have the vessel back in commission by her 100th anniversary in 2015.
This "Little Ship" is an ex Navy rowing pinnace built in 1915 that was converted to a "Gentleman's Yacht sometime between the wars. The picture to the left shows the hull extension (still painted green) added in the 1930's.
The positions of the rowing thwarts and stretchers are still visible even after the yacht conversion. Substantial changes had been made to create the quality finish required for a yacht which is how she went to Dunkirk. Unfortunately she has more recently sustained such severe damage from a fire that the vessel was nearly lost to us altogether. All the longitudinal strengthening timbers were gone, along with substantial parts of the superstructure and side deck.
It is the nations good fortune that the vessel came into the hands of "the Dunkirk Little Ship Trust" who have funded the renovation. The plan is to return her to the state in which she served so gallantly at Dunkirk, in other words as a yacht, not a pulling Pinnace, her original condition.
New Frames
The lads from the school have recently replaced a number of laminated frames aft of the solid part of the deck as this was most in danger of distorting as it had no support whatsoever.
| The false stern
The rounded stern which was added during the yacht conversion.
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Hilfranor
L.O.A. 41' 0", Beam 9' 0", Draft 3' 0"
Built in 1936 by the
Walton Yacht & Launch Company.
Hilfranor was built at Walton on Thames before the war and was one of the craft assembled by Douglas Tough of the well known “Toughs Boatyard” at Kingston upon Thames, in May of 1940 for the relief of our troops stranded on the beach at Dunkirk. Her crew on this gallant run were Jack Christie, Mr W Hills & Mr V Hissons. Close to the beach she was dive bombed by German Stukas and suffered two near misses which served to crack ribs on both sides causing severe leaks and the crew to abandon ship. Later a group of desperate soldiers managed to bail her out and with continuous effort managed to navigate her back to the Goodwin Sands where she grounded until rescued by a Navy minesweeper. She was towed back to Ramsgate repaired and spent the rest of the war in the service of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. Her original petrol engines have been replaced with diesels and she has lived life as a private motor yacht since the end of the war.
Built in 1936 by the
Walton Yacht & Launch Company.
Hilfranor was built at Walton on Thames before the war and was one of the craft assembled by Douglas Tough of the well known “Toughs Boatyard” at Kingston upon Thames, in May of 1940 for the relief of our troops stranded on the beach at Dunkirk. Her crew on this gallant run were Jack Christie, Mr W Hills & Mr V Hissons. Close to the beach she was dive bombed by German Stukas and suffered two near misses which served to crack ribs on both sides causing severe leaks and the crew to abandon ship. Later a group of desperate soldiers managed to bail her out and with continuous effort managed to navigate her back to the Goodwin Sands where she grounded until rescued by a Navy minesweeper. She was towed back to Ramsgate repaired and spent the rest of the war in the service of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. Her original petrol engines have been replaced with diesels and she has lived life as a private motor yacht since the end of the war.
Warrior
L.O.A. 64' 8", Beam 14' 10", Draft 5' 10"
Built by Camper and Nicholson, Gosport. 1912.
This beautiful motor yacht was originally built as a naval pinnace in 1912 of double diagonal Mahogany on Oak frames. In 1934 she was converted to a twin screw Schooner for Captain K.B. Harbord by Beazley Marine Trading Company. She survived the Dunkirk run only to suffer the indignity shortly afterwards of being firebombed in Greenwich during which event most of her early records were lost. Whilst still in naval hands in 1942 she was attached to Coastal Defence and served as a training vessel to teach navigation and ship handling to aspiring young Royal Naval cadets at HMS King Alfred.
Built by Camper and Nicholson, Gosport. 1912.
This beautiful motor yacht was originally built as a naval pinnace in 1912 of double diagonal Mahogany on Oak frames. In 1934 she was converted to a twin screw Schooner for Captain K.B. Harbord by Beazley Marine Trading Company. She survived the Dunkirk run only to suffer the indignity shortly afterwards of being firebombed in Greenwich during which event most of her early records were lost. Whilst still in naval hands in 1942 she was attached to Coastal Defence and served as a training vessel to teach navigation and ship handling to aspiring young Royal Naval cadets at HMS King Alfred.
Works Underway
After the war was over Warrior had a number of owners and travelled as far as the Mediterranean and the Devon resort of Torquay coming to rest in a traditional wooden boat yard on the South coast of England. Here we undertook major structural repairs with much hull planking replaced and completely refitted her with a new deck house and internal joinery. A bow thruster was fitted and all electrics renewed.
Nearly Complete
And here she is after we have nearly completed the restoration, work almost ready to launch. Note the newly fitted Bow Thruster.
Inspiration II
L.O.A. 30’ 8”, Beam 9’ 0”, Draft 2’ 6”
Built by Osbourne’s in Littlehampton in 1931.
This little ship, because of its’ size, only 30’ 9”, was towed towards Dunkirk by one of the larger vessels. This happened with a large number of the smaller vessels because it would save fuel and get her there quicker but alas she never made it. She must have broken loose either due to weather or enemy action and after drifting for a while she was found and towed back to Dover by the tug Kenia. She is now once again in private hands and being looked after in the same condition she was, seventy years ago.
Built by Osbourne’s in Littlehampton in 1931.
This little ship, because of its’ size, only 30’ 9”, was towed towards Dunkirk by one of the larger vessels. This happened with a large number of the smaller vessels because it would save fuel and get her there quicker but alas she never made it. She must have broken loose either due to weather or enemy action and after drifting for a while she was found and towed back to Dover by the tug Kenia. She is now once again in private hands and being looked after in the same condition she was, seventy years ago.
Falcon II
L.O.A. 58' 0", Beam 15' 0", Draft 5' 6".
Built by Vosper, Portsmouth. 1898
Built in 1898 and originally called "Xebec" she was designed as a sailing clipper employed on the Portuguese run carrying wine casks much after the fashion of the character James Onedin who did the same in his memorable 1970’s TV series “The Onedin Line”. However our clipper was longer lived and in 1935 was converted to a motor yacht and endowed with a four cylinder diesel engine and renamed Falcon II. Her record for the Dunkirk evacuation is impressive by any standards. She did 5 separate trips to Normandy bringing back 90 men each time a total of 450 lives saved from death or certain incarceration at the hands of the Nazis. A poignant turn of events in her life took place in 1975 when a Dunkirk evacuee, Wing Commander Leonard Lambert DFC, AFC found her on the river bank at Thames Ditton. He knew the value of this little ship as he had spent a number of months in hospital with wounds sustained on the beach before being brought home by a similar vessel.
He renamed Falcon, "Alabama". Quite possibly the old sailor’s superstition about renaming a ship is true for she was hit by a large unidentified vessel whilst alongside at Chelsea and sunk. As you can see from the photograph she has been rescued and is being maintained with loving care by ourselves and her new owner. A just reward for what she did in May 1940. She is said to be the oldest Dunkirk "Little Ship" in existance.
Built by Vosper, Portsmouth. 1898
Built in 1898 and originally called "Xebec" she was designed as a sailing clipper employed on the Portuguese run carrying wine casks much after the fashion of the character James Onedin who did the same in his memorable 1970’s TV series “The Onedin Line”. However our clipper was longer lived and in 1935 was converted to a motor yacht and endowed with a four cylinder diesel engine and renamed Falcon II. Her record for the Dunkirk evacuation is impressive by any standards. She did 5 separate trips to Normandy bringing back 90 men each time a total of 450 lives saved from death or certain incarceration at the hands of the Nazis. A poignant turn of events in her life took place in 1975 when a Dunkirk evacuee, Wing Commander Leonard Lambert DFC, AFC found her on the river bank at Thames Ditton. He knew the value of this little ship as he had spent a number of months in hospital with wounds sustained on the beach before being brought home by a similar vessel.
He renamed Falcon, "Alabama". Quite possibly the old sailor’s superstition about renaming a ship is true for she was hit by a large unidentified vessel whilst alongside at Chelsea and sunk. As you can see from the photograph she has been rescued and is being maintained with loving care by ourselves and her new owner. A just reward for what she did in May 1940. She is said to be the oldest Dunkirk "Little Ship" in existance.
Count Dracula
L.O.A. 50' 00", Beam 9' 06", Draft 3' 06"
Built by German Imperial Navy 1913
Originally built as an Admirals barge powered by a steam engine. Her provenance is mostly verbal as her written records have been largely lost in the mists of time. She is reputed to belong to Admiral von Hipper who took her with him on every ship he sailed in including the Lutzow at the battle of Jutland, the Moeltke and eventually the Battle Cruiser Hindenburg. When the German fleet finally surrendered Hindenburg was scuppered at Scapa Flow but Count Dracula floated free and was salvaged by the Royal Navy. She was sold into private hands namely the Greiner family who used her as a gentlemans’ yacht until the second world war when, once again, Count Dracula saw action sailing from Ramsgate to Dunkirk where because of her power she was able to tow two 35 ft. lifeboats. (We assume by this time she had already been converted to diesel engines). Her total for this heroic rescue was 712 which included the last 38 Royal Engineers to leave the beach after having built a temporary pier of Thames barges.
At the end of the war the boat was handed back to the Greiner family but soon was sold and then we loose track of her for about 20 years until she was rediscovered being used as a houseboat on the upper Thames. Subsequent to this in various states of repair she has completed two return runs to Dunkirk and now is in the final stages of restoration to her original condition as launched in Wilhelmshaven 98 years ago.
Built by German Imperial Navy 1913
Originally built as an Admirals barge powered by a steam engine. Her provenance is mostly verbal as her written records have been largely lost in the mists of time. She is reputed to belong to Admiral von Hipper who took her with him on every ship he sailed in including the Lutzow at the battle of Jutland, the Moeltke and eventually the Battle Cruiser Hindenburg. When the German fleet finally surrendered Hindenburg was scuppered at Scapa Flow but Count Dracula floated free and was salvaged by the Royal Navy. She was sold into private hands namely the Greiner family who used her as a gentlemans’ yacht until the second world war when, once again, Count Dracula saw action sailing from Ramsgate to Dunkirk where because of her power she was able to tow two 35 ft. lifeboats. (We assume by this time she had already been converted to diesel engines). Her total for this heroic rescue was 712 which included the last 38 Royal Engineers to leave the beach after having built a temporary pier of Thames barges.
At the end of the war the boat was handed back to the Greiner family but soon was sold and then we loose track of her for about 20 years until she was rediscovered being used as a houseboat on the upper Thames. Subsequent to this in various states of repair she has completed two return runs to Dunkirk and now is in the final stages of restoration to her original condition as launched in Wilhelmshaven 98 years ago.
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