Wooden Ships Comments on this Liverpool Class Lifeboat
Liverpool Class RNLB built by Groves & Guttridge Ltd, Cowes, in 1939.
She served as the lifeboat for Cloughey, Co. Down with a well documented service record.
After being sold out of the RNLI in 1966, she was used as a private motor launch.
Between 2010 and 2012 she underwent a major restoration in the hands of Nelsons Boats, a yard specialising in lifeboats. She was put back as close as possible to her original service condition by sourcing as many original parts, features and fittings as possible. She was re-engined with an almost new Ford 4D. The hull was found to be in excellent condition with no structural repairs required during the refit period.
This vessel is a living and working piece of maritime history in excellent condition, very capable and tough with legendary sea keeping qualities. She is not equipped with the luxuries of a modern yacht and as such offers a different type of boating but she does it with style. Complete with forward tent offering a dry cabin with 2 berths when required.
The boat is on the National Register of Historic Ships and is eligible to fly their dedicated ensign.
This is a remarkable boat with many original features and fittings. Clean survey from 2021 available.
Currently in undercover storage at the vendors home with facilities to lift onto transport.
Wooden Ships Comments on this Fairey Marine Huntsman 28
Fairey Marine Huntsman 28 built in 1966, hull No. 87.
Major rebuild in 1990 and used very little since that time, spending most of this period stored undercover.
New Cummins 209hp diesels fitted in 2000. Now only 250 hours.
The Huntsman was designed by Alan Burnard for Fairey Marine Ltd, inspired by the offshore race boats from Ray Hunt in the preceding years with a deep V-hull and elegant classic lines. Made famous with successes in the Cowes-Torquay race and the famous boat chase in the James Bond film ‘From Russia With Love’.
A truly iconic British yacht design that went on to become the must have power boat of the period.
A smart and elegant example of this true classic power boat which has been used extensively throughout the 2025 season with voyages to the Isles of Scilly and other regular trips up and down the south coast. The boat performed impeccably throughout the season cruising comfortably and economically at 25 knots and taking on some very rough sea conditions at times with no concerns.
Currently in undercover protected storage for the winter. 2024 survey available.
Wooden ships comments on this 43′ Fred Parker twin screw motor yacht
Twin screw motor yacht designed by Fred Parker and built by Moodys in 1964.
A most attractive yacht with a well thought out interior offering 3 sleeping cabins, deck saloon, 2 heads and a separate shower. This amount of accommodation is very rare in a classic motor yacht of this size and makes her very adaptable to family use. Her delightful aft cockpit is a lovely addition creating a superb space to sit either on passage or when moored for an evening drink.
Sold by Wooden Ships on numerous occasions, we have followed her progress over the years through several careful and diligent owners who have all updated and improved the boat in their own way, from new Cummins engines to more recently all new teak decks.
In recent years the boat has been used around the Devon and Cornwall coasts for family summer cruising and has been professionally maintained in local yards with winters undercover.
A top class and lovely looking yacht built from excellent materials and maintained to a good standard.
Wooden Ships Comments on this Scottish Motor Fishing Vessel
Built by W. & G. Stephen of Banff, Scotland in 1915. She was launched as a Seine Netter with lug rig and auxiliary motor. Quickly converted to a straight motor fishing vessel, she worked out of Montrose, before moving to Dundee, Arbroath and finally Kirkaldy where she was registered in the 1940’s with the number KY143.
Sold into private ownership in 1968, she moved to the south coast and was bought by the present owner in 1982. After that started an extensive and detailed rebuild which has been ongoing since 1982, with effective completion of the refit this year.
Approximately 90% of the hull has been replaced; all the frames and all planks above the waterline are new. The keel was kept along with some underwater planking. The whole deck structure, superstructure and all systems are also new.
This long refit has been a labour of love and passion for the owner, less about getting to sea and more about rebuilding the boat to the best standard possible and enjoying the refit process. With this accomplished it is now time to hand her over to a new custodian. The interior of the hull is empty and could be fitted out as a new owner desires, or left simple and open. With an impeccable and virtually brand new hull, all new systems and a superb rebuilt Gardner diesel engine she is in great shape for a new owner to carry on and enjoy the boat in the years to come.
Wooden Ships Comments on this Silvers Ormidale Motor Yacht
Silvers Ormidale class motor yacht designed by John Bain and built by James A. Silver Ltd, Rosneath in 1965. Built to Lloyds 100A1 classification.
Built for Edinburgh surgeon Mr John Stenhouse, she has only had 3 previous owners. In 2000 she was given a major overhaul with a pair of new Gardner 6LXB engines fitted by Gardner Marine along with new stainless steel fuel tanks.
Professionally maintained in present ownership by boatbuilders on the Isle of Wight and cruised around the Solent and West Country.
The recent Gardner engines with low hours are a very impressive addition to this yacht, offering reliable, quiet and fuel efficient cruising.
Her comfortable layout offers 3 sleeping cabins with 2 single berths in each, plus 3 heads compartments, 2 of them with full height showers.
This is a lovely example of this well respected class of motor yacht which has retained much of her original charm and character through sympathetic ownerships. Coupled with her relatively recent engines and systems, she is a ready to go, professionally maintained classic yacht ideally suited to family cruising.
Wooden Ships Comments on this Ex. RNLB Watson Class GERTRUDE
Ex. RNLB Gertrude (ON847) is a 46’ open cockpit Watson Class lifeboat built in 1945.
She served at Holy Island between 1946-1968, then Exmouth 1968-1970, Sheerness 1970-1974, relief lifeboat 1974-1980 and lastly in Fowey from 1980-1981.
She was the last of the open cockpit Watson class boats to be launched.
In same private ownership since 1981, she has been based out of Mevagissey and used solely for private family trips and RNLI events.
Due to bereavement in the family, the boat has not been used for several years, although the engines are run up regularly and the boat has been slipped for maintenance when required.
The originality of this lifeboat is astounding, she has not been converted in anyway, still retaining her floatation chambers with cork boxes in large parts of the hull, the small mahogany panelled cabin forward and open cockpit aft.
Wooden Ships Comments on Ex. RNLB Guide of Dunkirk
Ex. RNLB Guide of Dunkirk (ON826) is a 35’6” self-righting motor sailing lifeboat launched in 1940 and paid for by the Girl Guides Association. She was built by the Rowhedge Iron Works in Essex.
She was due to be called Girl Guide, but after her huge involvement in the Allied evacuations at Dunkirk, she was named Guide of Dunkirk.
She left the boatyard on June 1st 1940 and sailed straight for Dunkirk with a crew from Walton-on-the-Naze and Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. On her first trip she ferried many soldiers from the beaches out to larger waiting ships until she was badly damaged by machine gun fire and got a rope wrapped around the propeller. After being towed back to England stern first, she was repaired and went straight back to Dunkirk where she was heavily damaged again by shell fire.
The efforts of this boat and her crew saved countless lives under very heavy enemy fire.
In 1941, The Guide was stationed at Cadgwith, Cornwall and was named the Guide of Dunkirk in 1947. When the Cadgwith station was closed in 1963, the Guide was sold into private ownership in which she has remained ever since.
The boat is now laid up ashore where she has bee for some years. The boat is however in remarkably good condition and very complete with many original fittings and fixtures. Still with the boat is the complete rig, original compass and steering wheel along with many bronze fittings that have been carefully retained.
This is a project, but a very worthy project, a boat that deserves to be refitted and the history retained. The hull is in surprisingly good sound condition and the engine is a very good quality unit.
More information and photos on the National Historic Ships Register:
Wooden Ships Comments on this Thornycroft Single Screw Motor Yacht
Rampart single screw motor yacht, designed by J. I. Thornycroft Ltd and built by Rampart Boat Building Co. in 1958.
Ramparts were prolific builders of elegant motor yachts in the UK. This is one of their smaller designs with single engine, but offers a lot in terms of aesthetics and ergonomics. The large aft cockpit, which can be covered when in the rain, gives a comfortable outside/inside space, while the cabin with excellent headroom offers 4 good berths in a cabin that still has a lot of original joinery.
Bought by the present owner in 2001, she underwent a major refit which finished in 2002. This involved some areas of new planking, some new sistered frames and refastening of the hull. Since this first refit she has been steadily upgraded and improved including a 2006 Yanmar diesel.
This is a yacht that has been in a very diligent and caring ownership for nearly 25 years and this detailed attention is clear to see in the finish and presentation of the boat.
Well maintained and regularly used motor yacht only for sale due to ill health. Sensibly priced with a 2023 survey.
Wooden Ships Comments on this Philips 50 Motor Yacht
The Philips 50 was designed and built by Philips & Son of Dartmouth in 1967 and was one of several similar motor yachts built to the same design. Philips & Sons at the time were a very famous yard and had an excellent reputation in the yachting industry for building quality yachts of all designs and sizes.
The design offers a lot of deck space, a large saloon and three separate sleeping cabins, all in just over 48′. Powered by a pair of reliable Perkins 6cyl diesels which have been well maintained, she is capable of good cruising speed with very acceptable fuel consumption.
She has a large and clear aft deck surrounded by elegant rails with a teak capping rail. This aft deck is a superb space for entertaining and relaxing and is a special feature of this boat compared to some of her sisters.
The current owner bought the boat in 2018 and has had her maintained by the yard of Stirling & Son in Plymouth who have a lot of experience with this type of vessel. They have undertaken some intensive maintenance including re-caulking the deck and hull repairs where necessary.
An elegant and turn key motor yacht offering lots of comfortable volume and space for her length.
Wooden Ships Comments on this 32′ Twin Screw Motor Yacht
Twin screw motor yacht built in Conwy, North Wales, in 1965.
Excellent for river cruising and live aboard, she has also been used in the Bristol channel in present ownership.
Bought in 2011 by the current owner, a major refit was carried out immediately preceeding that which including a complete new deck. The hull was stripped to bare wood and very few issues discovered.
Since then a new transom was constructed in 2017 and the boat totally re-wired in 2021. The starboard engine was rebuilt with a new gearbox.
At 32’ she offers a lot of space and volume for the length with a large covered aft cockpit, good headroom and generous beam. 4 berths is ample for a boat of this size and type, and with most of the living time spent in the cockpit with its excellent tent, this boat has more than enough space for a liveaboard boat and long term cruising.
Camper & Nicholsons yard were quick to realise the change in yacht construction when it came, and saw the future would be with GRP. They looked to adapt early on and built several designs in the new material, most notably the Nicholson 36. This example was built in 1962, still in the heyday of British wooden yacht building, and is one of their recognisable C&N yacht designs but with a GRP hull. The hull was laid up by Halmatic Ltd, experts in the new material, and finished by Campers with a varnished mahogany superstructure, cockpit and nice classic interior. These boats were raced a lot in the early years and will still provide their owners with exciting classic regatta racing, but are also excellent cruising yachts. A nice example of the class, well presented and ready to sail this season at £35,000woodenships.co.uk/sailing-yacht/camper-nicholson-36/... See MoreSee Less
Lindy II was the second of Harrison Butlers Davinka designs to be built after his very own yacht Vindilis. Lindy II was built at A.H. Moody & Son and retains her original bermudan yawl rig. With a major in depth professional refit around 2012 she is still in good structural shape. Sensibly priced at £20,000 to reflect the owners circumstances and the need for a quick sale this spring. Full set of new photos and video tour just uploaded to the web site. This is a lovely pedigree yacht and a superb example of pre-war British yacht design from one our greatest designers. Full details in her advert:woodenships.co.uk/sailing-yacht/harrison-butler-davinka-bermudan-yawl/... See MoreSee Less
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with this.
