[boboil]

Over the past week I've been privileged to be involved in the transport of one of the hero's of ww2.
Left to rot in the mud on the banks of the river Medway in Kent, Alusia has been given a lifeline by an enthusiast who is determined to bring her back to life .
After loading her in Kent I took her to Liverpool Marina were she was transhipped onto a 45' flat trl which she will stay on for the duration of her makeover up in Duns, Berwickshire.
Here's a bit of histiry.
The nineteen thirties were a time when the well-to-do English middle classes developed elegant leisure pursuits. Mrs. Louisa Alexander had a most comfortable 45-foot motor yacht built and named after her by Rampart Boat Builders, in Southampton in 1938.

Alusia only enjoyed a single season fulfilling the role for which she was built: cruising in French waters as an ideal pleasure boat. Soon after the outbreak of war she was called up for more serious duties as a patrol boat (some members of the Royal Navy must have blessed the day!). Then, at the end of May 1940, under the command of Gunner A.J. Northcott RN, with a civilian crew, she assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk.

After the war her original owners, the Alexander family, bought her back from the Admiralty.
On her way










Few interior shots












On the 45' flat




If anyone is up in the Berwick area the owner would be more than willing to show anyone round the boat (PM me for details), he's hoping to have it ready for the 70th anniversary celerbrations next year.
He's also bought another Dunkirk veteran boat named Anne witch I will be delivrering next week.
http://www.adls.org.uk/t1/node/545

[boboil]

Heres the 2nd Dunkirk Veteran boat Anne being loaded at Jalsea Marina, Northwich today, to be delivered on Tuesday to the same place as Alusia. It may look in quite good condition on the pics but I can assure you the hull is rotten & a great deal of re-planking will be required to get her sea worthy again. She still sports her original Ailsa Craig peterol engines which look in good condition.
At the time of Dunkirk, the Anne belonged to Mr. P.J. Darby and before the war end belonged to a Dr. McCracken. As in so many histories of Dunkirk Little Ships, her precise war-time service has not been recorded, but her name appears in all the official records.

[Manx Centor]

I've just learnt that Boboil does work for a boat transport company - he's an internationally renowned boat thief. He hides behind his easy going and enchanting personality, but in reality all he wants to do is steal your boat in his truck and sell them on ebay. Be warned. Here's the proof, this is his personal boat!

[boboil]

Here's another Dunkirk veteran on its way to Scotland for restoration, this one built in 1928 is the Southsea Belle formally known as the Folkestone Belle a 50' motor launch with a 12'6" beam.
History here http://www.adls.org.uk/t1/node/634

[boboil]

Got one of my pics in Decembers classic boat magazine of ALusia & Anne

[boboil]

Here Phil http://www.adls.org.uk/t1/boats
I'm hoping to get on the trip across to Dunkirk on Anne next year when I take her back down South for the re- enactment cruise.

[sallybear]

Really interesting read. Missed this post before. Love old boats especially ones with some sort of history. There is a boat not far from me, sitting in East Float Docks on the Wirral that was a landing craft that took part in the D-Day landings. Apparently she carried 10 tanks to the shore at Normandy with only 1 being hit.

She did spend some time as a club in the docks in Liverpool at some point but no idea what her future is.

[boboil]

Salvor
Another Dunkirk veteran rescued & taken for restoration.
The former Moelfre lifeboat Charles and Eliza Laura earned awards for gallantry before the men of Dunkirk were ever born. A 12-oar, 15-man pulling-and-sailing vessel, she saved her first lives on her delivery trip in 1910, after she left the river Mersey, when she was called to the yacht Drake sinking with two people on board. Rigged with a standing lug foresail, mizzen and jib, she proved her sailing qualities during her most dramatic rescue in 1927, when the ketch Excel, bound from Birkenhead to Ireland with a cargo of coal, started shipping water and was soon out of control in a heavy south-westerly gale. Second coxswain William Roberts commanded the lifeboat.

The Excel had been in tow of a German tanker, when the tow-rope parted. There was little time left to rescue the three men aboard her. Heavy seas made it impossible to go alongside, so the coxswain took the desperate measure of driving his ship over the crest of a big wave on top of the Excel where they stayed long enough to take off her crew before her stern dropped and they slipped off again. The gale was now approaching hurricane force and the Charles and Eliza Laura was holed in five places, but they went on with rescuers and rescued holding on desperately, sailing through the sea more than on it. They brought the boat home safely after seventeen and a half hours on the storm-swept ocean. Her coxswain and one other, received the RNLI Gold Medal, the rest of the crew got the bronze. One died from his injuries.

In 18 years, the ship went out on 35 similar occasions and saved the lives of 84 people and a dog. Then, on 11th February 1929, she broke from her moorings in heavy seas and was damaged too badly to be considered for repair to lifeboat standard. She was therefore sold out of service.

Douglas Kirkaldy, famous coxswain of the Ramsgate lifeboat at the time, bought her and sailed her home from Anglesey in 1940. That is when her name was changed to Salvor, but she continued much as before, first in the Trinity House Lightship service and then as a stand-by lifeboat. At this time, she was commandeered by the Navy and became HMS Salvor. A naval crew took her to Dunkirk and she was returned after the war to Douglas Kirkaldy who stipulated that she should be burned at his death - a request no-one was prepared to obey.

Eventually, she was found rotting at her moorings at Richborough Kent, by Reg Cornwell, a timber preservation specialist who "could not let this grand old servant of the sea die". He pulled her out and spent a year restoring her. He then took her back to Ramsgate harbour where a warm welcome awaited her.

Since then she has been neglected but has been thrown another lifeline & is to be restored to her former glory

[boboil]

Originally Posted by n10694

Terrific !

Ever fancied swapping jobs and looking after some computers........

Ha Ha thanks for the offer Phil but no thanks !!!!!

[lister]

Originally Posted by sallybear

Really interesting read. Missed this post before. Love old boats especially ones with some sort of history. There is a boat not far from me, sitting in East Float Docks on the Wirral that was a landing craft that took part in the D-Day landings. Apparently she carried 10 tanks to the shore at Normandy with only 1 being hit.

She did spend some time as a club in the docks in Liverpool at some point but no idea what her future is.

Nice to see the Clubship Landfall getting a mention. Think my mum & dad used to go there. Some history here;
Clubship Landfall

....Lister;~)