Will Stirling of boat builders Stirling & Son of Tavistock sent over these photos of a steam launch named Halcyon, which the company repaired recently.
‘The owner tells me that she was built on the River Thames before the Second World War,’ wrote Will. ‘She is built of mahogany on oak and is in very good condition.’
For a bit of video of Halcyon steaming on the Tamar, click here.
By coincidence, Stirling and Son currently has another boat called Halcyon in the shed – though this one is a straight stemmed-cutter with a counter stern built in the late 19th century.
‘Work seems to come in flurries,’ says Will. ‘This has been an autumn of spars with a large new boom for a pilot cutter, a new mast for an Admiralty pinnace and the refurbishment of all of the spars for a 32ft gaff cutter.
‘I’ve also attached a photo of 12ft rowing dinghy number 22, which is now ready to be fitted out.’ See the shot below. Number 22! Stirlings have made a lot of dinghies to their beautiful design.
Stirling and Son traditional yacht building and wooden boat repair can be reached by phone at 01822 614259. The company’s website is at www.stirlingandson.co.uk.
