James Silver of Rosneath and John Bain designs.

burgundyben

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Still alive and kicking! Englander is still in fine fettle, although had to replace cabin roof, rot in the underlying ply, but after 50 yeras? Not too unexpected. Once winter and repairs are over (covers are on), I'll take some piccies. my email ccscott49@fastmail.fm

There will always be a need for jobs like that from time to time.

Have you come across a chap by the name of Mark? He has a 58ft Silver in Med somewhere, he's a Fairey acquaintance of mine.
 

Dippydiver

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This is the one I mean. Can't find much about her anywhere but I think it's Brown Owl 2 class. I quite fancy a hobby!
images-of-the-other-side-of-littlehampton-12-728.jpg

If someone could tell me how to insert a picture that would be great!
 

Dippydiver

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I am new to this site, I found it by looking up silver sonnet. I noticed her on the Thames and thought i recognised a boat that I saw in Ireland while visiting on another silver built yacht called Dunedin. She was a live aboard dive charter and I had many great holidays aboard her. I would love to know what happened to her. She is very similar to the brown owl in littlehampton that is shown on this thread
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Brown Owl Class

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Just to let you know this is not a John Bain Brown Owl Class . The Boat is called Byoris ,built in 1963 by Fairly Yacht and Ship Co Ltd, 50 grt, length 56 feet ,beam 15 feet . so very sad to see her now !
 

Aja

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Remember Byoris mid seventies in Mcaillsters yard.

Owner used to work on her himself.

Donald
 

Dippydiver

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I believe Dunedin formally Robin Hood may have been renamed Flora of Greenock !
Many thanks for the info. Not keen on some of the changes they have made. Hopefully my lottery ticket will come up trumps. This is a boat with a lot of history and there are a lot of people with great memories of her. Even the trip to the channel islands when the waves were higher than the boat.
 

ccscott49

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There will always be a need for jobs like that from time to time.

Have you come across a chap by the name of Mark? He has a 58ft Silver in Med somewhere, he's a Fairey acquaintance of mine.
Yes have met mark. Nice chap. been aboard, looking to make him a side passerelle at some time.
 

John_Kenny

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Long time lurker on this forum and some of the beautiful Silvers owned

Interested in any views on this:

Used Silver Class Motor Yacht Miss Silver Power Boat For Sale | Boat Ref 33133 | Ancasta

Its seems an awful lot of boat for the money but I don't have the survey report mentioned to hand yet. Interested to know if anybody knows her or anything about her?

I have been looking for a Silvers for a long time and they fall into two categories:

a) wrecked, or,
b) restored and unaffordable.

This is the first one I've seen that doesn't seem to be either (a) or (b) but welcome more expert views than mine.
 

burgundyben

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I'd be a little concerned about what lies under the epoxy cloth cabin roof with the celotex covering, whatever all that is, but I reckon she is definately worth a good poke about.
 
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Jcorstorphine

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Long time lurker on this forum and some of the beautiful Silvers owned

Interested in any views on this:

Used Silver Class Motor Yacht Miss Silver Power Boat For Sale | Boat Ref 33133 | Ancasta

Its seems an awful lot of boat for the money but I don't have the survey report mentioned to hand yet. Interested to know if anybody knows her or anything about her?

I have been looking for a Silvers for a long time and they fall into two categories:

a) wrecked, or,
b) restored and unaffordable.

This is the first one I've seen that doesn't seem to be either (a) or (b) but welcome more expert views than mine.

I think the broker is mistaken describing the boat as a Miss Silver Class. The Miss Silver class were motorsailers built in the 60s and were 30 feet in length usually powered by a 30HP Newage BMC Captain diesel.

The boat you are looking at is a Silverette which were a range of twin screw motor cruisers between 32 and 38 feet built before and after World War 2.
 

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Launchedin66

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I think the broker is mistaken describing the boat as a Miss Silver Class. The Miss Silver class were motorsailers built in the 60s and were 30 feet in length usually powered by a 30HP Newage BMC Captain diesel.

The boat you are looking at is a Silverette which were a range of twin screw motor cruisers between 32 and 38 feet built before and after World War 2.
I think this one ‘Silver Cloud’ is a one off, not a standard Silverette. It also looks to me like the topsides have been painted where traditionally they would have been varnished on the top 3 or 4 planks. Definitely worth a look and has been on the market for a couple of years. Can’t beat a Silvers.
 

John_Kenny

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Thanks all,

She is definitely not a standard Silverette - intrigued as to what she is but I am locked down in ROI for the forseeable.

Perhaps no surprise that these boats take a long time to shift - they are a lot more work than their plastic quite distant cousins.

Anyone any idea of the utility of these boats for (gentle) coastal cruising. 200 litre range (a fixable issue) and a relatively shallow draft of 3'6 (not) jump out but curious if anyone has a view as to using them for moderate sea voyages?
 

David_Hunter

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Hello Gents,

Thank you for having me in your forum. I am a Silver's enthusiast having spent many summer holidays in my youth aboard my grandfather's John Bain designed motor-sailer on the west coast of Scotland.
I am now looking for a Silver boat for restoration. If anyone has any good leads for me then that would be appreciated.
 

Saitoz3

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Hello Gents,

Thank you for having me in your forum. I am a Silver's enthusiast having spent many summer holidays in my youth aboard my grandfather's John Bain designed motor-sailer on the west coast of Scotland.
I am now looking for a Silver boat for restoration. If anyone has any good leads for me then that would be appreciated.
I happen to be researching a Silver this very week who’s restoration has stalled and is ostensively abandoned. Bain design, 1930, canoe stern, 52’ LOA. She’s called Sea Lass.

She’s all the way in Port Townsend, Washington....not far from my home in Seattle. Stripped down a good amount but intact. I need a closer look but I can tell some framing amidships was underway. Pilothouse, aft cabin and deck are all there. Missing a hundred board foot of planking, maybe a little more, mostly above the water line. A far cry from GB but she’s in need of new management.

Let me know if you’d like more info. Thank you for having me in the forum as well. It’s been a great wealth of information so far.
 

MB007

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Hi Everyone,
Just stumbled on this site and it is very interesting.
There is now a Facebook Group for Silvers Motoryachts which I've applied to join. Have a look at this.

My brother and I bought a Silverette "Javelin" in Dumbarton in the 1980s and cruised around the Clyde.
Many years later I bought another Silverette "June Amelia" and completely restored her. This was an epic project but very enjoyable!
There was an owners club - run by Chris Jardine but no longer about .... and I have the original book "Motor Yacht Building" by John Bain which is packed with period detail.
At present I'm restoring a modern "Corvette" strangely in the same yard as I bought my first Silver!

This is June Amelia in Granton after the restoration. Built in 1931 she was also called Janetta, Novara, & White Maa. She was the first Silverette ever built by Silvers and I wonder if she is still about?

I have many original documents and pics if anyone is looking for information.

Cheers,

Melvyn Bond

JUne.png
 

Silvander

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Hi Everyone,
Just stumbled on this site and it is very interesting.
There is now a Facebook Group for Silvers Motoryachts which I've applied to join. Have a look at this.

My brother and I bought a Silverette "Javelin" in Dumbarton in the 1980s and cruised around the Clyde.
Many years later I bought another Silverette "June Amelia" and completely restored her. This was an epic project but very enjoyable!
There was an owners club - run by Chris Jardine but no longer about .... and I have the original book "Motor Yacht Building" by John Bain which is packed with period detail.
At present I'm restoring a modern "Corvette" strangely in the same yard as I bought my first Silver!

This is June Amelia in Granton after the restoration. Built in 1931 she was also called Janetta, Novara, & White Maa. She was the first Silverette ever built by Silvers and I wonder if she is still about?

I have many original documents and pics if anyone is looking for information.

Cheers,

Melvyn Bond

View attachment 94926
Hi Melvyn. Grand to see Novara, as we knew her when my father Robbie Jeffrey owned her in the 1960s, she was a very fine boat indeed. Many, many happy months exploring every inch of the West Coast. We had a house at Waterfoot, Kintyre and I have pictures of her moored there in the River Carra. Seems like yesterday. We went on to own Silvander, a Silver’s Brown Owl after Novara. I would be fascinated by any material you may still have on her though. Regards, Doug Jeffrey.

Attached is the Brown Owl SILVANDER we had late 60s and 70s - this is 1973.
 

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MB007

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Hi Melvyn. Grand to see Novara, as we knew her when my father Robbie Jeffrey owned her in the 1960s, she was a very fine boat indeed. Many, many happy months exploring every inch of the West Coast. We had a house at Waterfoot, Kintyre and I have pictures of her moored there in the River Carra. Seems like yesterday. We went on to own Silvander, a Silver’s Brown Owl after Novara. I would be fascinated by any material you may still have on her though. Regards, Doug Jeffrey.

Attached is the Brown Owl SILVANDER we had late 60s and 70s - this is 1973.
Hi Doug,

It was good to hear from you regarding "Novara". This was the boat I bought as a "project" but it was known then as "White Maa".

As usual there is a story to tell....

Originally from Hunters Quay my brother Jonathan and I were looking for a motor boat and we purchased the Silverette "Javelin" from Sandpoint yard, Dumbarton in the late 70s. I was in my early 20s and earned £48.00 per month.....
Luckily she was in good order and we had many adventures on the west coast.
Time went on and I moved to Edinburgh and was now settled with children but was a member of the Corinthians Club in Granton. At that time there were various relics in the yard to be burned, one of which was the Silverette "White Maa" which caught my attention. However, the owner an Ian Cadger was not for selling and wished the boat burnt as it had special memories for him. I happened to be on holiday that year in Kingsbridge Devon and was wandering around the harbour when I discovered a small brokers office. On looking through his stock I was amazed to discover the said White Maa for sale! I had my brother buy the boat on my behalf and this caused uproar in the Corinthians as lots of other members were interested...
Now the fun started. The boat was in dreadful condition and it took me nearly 2 years to restore her to a seaworthy state. It was a great experience as I had already done one before! I renamed the boat "June Amelia" which was her first name - after the first owner Harold Shoesmith's two daughters. After a bit of pottering on the Forth I had her moved to Inverkip and had some great trips from there.
One day I received a message from Kip that they had a buyer for her. No, I wasn't for selling but I was persuaded to do so as I was made an extremely generous
offer by non other than Robby Coltrain.
It was the end of the Silvers era for me but I still have a motorboat (a Corvette) on the Clyde.
I attach some pictures from these days and some original documents from my vast collection!
Please feel free to contact me again if you have any further queries.

Regards,

Melvyn. melvynbond@btinternet.com
 

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