William Osborne History.

[DRW]

Hello all,

Could anyone help with the history of the William Osborne yard at Littlehampton? I have been struggling to find much out at all and would be grateful to be pointed in the right direction. All info on the yard and her various boats would be most welcome.

I have a launch built in the war, but cannot find out very much about what she would have been built for. I believe she is an 'Overseas launch', or at least she came with a copy of a very old brochure of an Overseas Launch that looks like her. She is very much like a Thames Police boat, but I have no idea of where she went when she was built.

If anyone can point me in the right direction for background information on this great builder, it will help her restoration no end and I will be most grateful.

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[rich]

Is she called RATAFIA! I hear from Sean you had a good trip home.

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.jersey-harbours.com<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by rich on 20/09/2004 13:56 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[DRW]

Hello Richard,

She certainly is, and we certainly had a good trip. I hear it took Sean a while to recover from the night in Braye. Unlike us, Ratafia behaved perfectly.

She is now looking a little sad, with a fair bit of paint scraped off and no engine casing at all. I hope to make her much happier over the next couple of weeks as I have a bit of time off work.

Thanks for taking her out of the harbour to Hermees, that was good to have the three of us on board then. She will be back for a visit, I am sure.

before I build a new casing for the engine, is there anything you would have changed on her?

Take care,
David

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[rich]

Hi, David There is nothing I can think of, except a good bit of padding at the entrance to the cabin/forums/images/icons/frown.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>http://www.jersey-harbours.com

 

[Ifraser]

I recently met a chap who was involved in the ownership of Osbornes yard. I can't recall whether he was the current owner or son of the owner.... He was on an "Osborne Enforcer" a super patrol boat made of carbon fibre ....if you search under that name on the internet, I know there are some for sale, you might be able to track him down or someone who knows some history of the yard. Sorry its a bit vague but thats all I know...Iain

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[DRW]

Richard, yes quite, I did come to on the deck the other week with another sore head!

Iain, many thanks for that, I shall give it a go.

Regards,

David

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[Kurrawong_Kid]

I don't know much about the history of the yard, but I owned a sailing yacht half built by them from 1975 until 1982. She was one of the Merlin Class, of which 3 were started in d/d just before the war. She was a 26ft. c/b, very like a Hillyard in shape. They built 3 shells, but because of increasing war preparation work did not fit them out. After the war the first owner of the one I bought, bought the shells from Osbornes and had them fitted out at Burnes of Bosham. He then sold the other two, but kept one for himself! The hull was spendidly built, a real piece of craftsmanship and the boat was ideal for the Welsh Coast where I sailed her extensively as did the second owner who had her from about 1962. I found a sister ship at Hoo Marina some 10 years or so ago. I saw the third one for sale in Boats for Sale a few years ago. They don't build them like that any more! Mind you, when I repainted I was not too keen on stopping up four or five thousand copper rivet indentations to get a smooth finish. No wonder I eventually bought a GRP boat! Good luck with yours. Watch out for fresh water from the decks. If it gets between the d/d planks and saturates the calico, it' the very devil to repair.

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[DRW]

I mean a sore head from hitting it on the door frame. Just read what I had said

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[aphay]

Hi David
The guy you need is Osbornes last designer who still works as a designer at the Arun yard. Thoroughly nice chap who is very helpful but very busy. I have pm'd his name and number to you. Be warned, like many boatyards of their time record keeping was of a far lower standard than their boats! There are a couple of Osborne Eagles for sale at the moment-a search should bring those up. Also Naiad Errant (a sister of Julia Ann) who is a Dunkirk Little Ship has her own website.

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[DRW]

Great, thanks for that.

I looked them up and the Naiad Errant is something else. They really do some work on her to keep her like that.

A real pain right now, I had set two weeks off work to repaint her and make the new engine casing, and got called back into work. Missed the Yarmouth beer and folk festival due to this as well.

Never mind, I know it will all come together by the end of October? Faith. Really. Promising myself.

Cgeers,

David



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[FionaLees]

Hi there!
I read your remarks re the designer at Osbornes. I would very much like to get in touch with him as I am trying to track down the original mould for the 18foot McLachlan RNLI rescue boat and I know they were produced at Osbornes yard. My uncle who is now 86 is Allen McLachlan the designer and it is really for him. Any information would be useful.
Many thanks, Fiona

 

[DRW]

Hello Fiona,

Aphay knows more about the yard than I do, I'm planning to take my boat around this spring to Littlehampton to do some digging around.

The Maclachlan Inshore Lifeboat was the Class A inshore lifeboat, entered service around 1975 to 1984. I know she was stationed at Torbay, Ramsgate and Invergorgen. There is a photo of one on the site http://home.online.no/~lawford/rl/ramsgate-lifeboats-photos.htm#A-510%20(previously%2018-010)

I guess the moulds would be broken up by now as there is very little of the yard left.

Your uncle is much more famous for his design of the all time classic lifeboat, the Arun 52, still stationed around the world and the UK, including Calshot in the Solent. This was first built in wood and then GRP. Name for the class Arun derives from littlehamptons river Arun.

Regards,

David

 

[FionaLees]

Hi David
How kind of you to reply to me. I read out your post to my uncle who was chuffed to bits that someone remembered him.

Actually his wife died last summer after 60 years of marriage. He was naturally quite down but started recently thinking about getting hold of an old McLachlan rescue boat and doing it up and this is what is keeping him going now. He says it will be his 'swan song'. I have been trying as I mentioned to track down the moulds but I agree that they have probably been destroyed.

Well if you hear of any ex RNLI McLachlan class inshore lifeboats for sale, please let me know!!

Regards
Fiona

 

[DRW]

Hi Fiona,

Any lifeboat station that has an Arun would be delighted to host your uncle for a visit. What part of the country does he live in, I can let you know the nearest Arun class station. Littlehampton Station would most likely have someone who worked on or built the A Class.

Calshot (at Southampton) and Shetland spring to mind, but there must be others still in service somewhere, will be easy for me to find out next week. Did he deisgn any other types?

Regards, David

 

[FionaLees]

Hi David
As far as I know he only designed the Arun and the 18' McLachlan class for the RNLI. It is the 18' one he is looking for, possibly prompted by my husband and I bringing lots of brochures home for him from the boat show. He thinks we could all share this boat when it is finished!! All includes his labrador Meg!
We already share a small holiday home at a place called Ardfern on Loch Craignish in the west coast of Scotland. An ideal place to keep a boat!
Regards
Fiona

 

[BrendanS]

Fiona

probably worthwhile you pm'ing forumite 'Milltech' as he has recently purchased an old lifeboat, and is a member of a lifeboat club, and has been active in tracking down one recently. I'm sure he can put you in contact with several owners and enthusiasts with specialist knowledge

 

[FionaLees]

Hi David

I forgot to tell you that my Uncle lives on the south side of Glasgow and we live in a place called Drymen, a small village near Loch Lomond.

I am sure Uncle Allen would love a visit to an Arun class lifeboat. At the moment he is absorbed in trying to hunt down a McLachlan lifeboat which he (for 'he' read my husband and I!! We will have to do the work if a refit is required!!) will renovate.

Perhaps we could arrange something in the summer?

Regards
Fiona

 

[FionaLees]

Hi Brendan

Thanks for that. I will PM Milltech.

Regards

Fiona

 

[future_sailor]

Did anyone find out any more information about this yard? How come they stopped doing RNLI work and what were Osborne's links with Halmatic and Cougar?

 

[Side valve]

Osborne

Hi you should try Paul of Classic Yacht brokerage in Worcester (He has a web site) tell him Shaun told you to contact him, he use to run the Osborne boat club and has a huge library of information, Hope this helps