Tag: cruising yacht

Harrison Butler Z4 looking for a new home

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Boatbuilder Kyle Abingdon is looking for a new home for his Harrison Butler Z4, having decided that there’s no sense in paying storage fees for a project he has no hope of being able to start in the near future.

He’s happy to negotiate terms but I’m pretty sure that it could be free to someone he is confident will make a good job of fixing her up and will look after her well – and thinks that could be someone who reads Intheboatshed.net .

Kyle says there is no rot on her and that her keel bolts have been done – but there is a lot of work to do, as she needs a deck, cockpit and internals.

Kyle is I am happy to advise anyone thinking of taking her on.

She comes with her mast, boom and sails all in good order, but no other rigging. Her mooring fees are up to date and she is stored under a tent at Faversham, Kent.

Contact Kyle at tel 07737 868421 and email kyleabingdon@yahoo.co.uk .

Pretty little traditionally built yacht free to a good home

Jennie of Paglesham 1 Jennie of Paglesham 2

I’ve posted about this boat before – but this boat is now offered free to a good home. I do hope she finds one soon!

Pretty little gaff cutter for sale! Owner Rhodri Williams says she needs quite a lot of attention but is basically sound, although he has neither time nor energy to do the work required. He says he would be delighted and able to advise and help from a distance…

Jennie of Paglesham was built by Frank Shuttlewood in 1946/7 from the bones of his grandfather’s 1885 clinker-built boat Jennie. An article about Jennie by the late Maurice Griffiths appeared in YM April 1948 (see links below).

She is a gaff-rigged cutter measuring 24ft 6in by 8ft 3in by 4ft, she comes fully equipped including new standing rigging.

Jennie of Paglesham is currently ashore at Gosport where viewing may be arranged. Contact Rhodri Williams by email at rhodriyorathwilliams@btinternet.com for details.

Read what old Mr Griffiths had to say about her here: The Other Man’s Boat

My thanks to Fowey boat builder Marcus Lewis for passing this enquiry on.

Amy Johnson and the Boswell family go sailing

The Boswells sailing with Amy Johnson – photos from the Boswell family archive, with thanks to Richard Boswell

Regular readers may remember a post about a sweet little 1934 Harry Feltham-built cruising yacht that was up for sale in Oare Creek last year.

There was a story that it had once been sailed by the famous woman aviator Amy Johnson, and some very observant types may have noticed the comments that followed its publication (to see them, follow the comments link at the bottom of the story), which included a note from Richard Boswell saying that he had some family photos of his family sailing with Johnson.

Well, these are the photos. I think they’re a charming glimpse into another era, on a day that looks an idyllic one for a picnic and a swim (those these may of course have been taken on different days).

I love the elegant clothes that we’d now think inappropriate and inconvenient, perhaps particularly the gentleman’s dinky white cap. But these were much more formal times.

The big question for is whether it’s the same boat… I gather Johnson referred to sailing a boat named Margaret, and previous owner Peter Mitchell reports that the boat was called Margaret in the past.

And I think it may be the same boat, allowing for the deck having been replaced, but that it would be difficult to be conclusive. What do you say?

These photos will be of particular interest to current owner Russell Thomas, who aims to return her as far as possible to the way she was in the 1930s.

PS – See the comments via the comment link below.