1971 French-built sloop

[Lahara]

I'm hoping some correspondents to this forum may know something of the origins of my 30 foot masthead sloop. The little I do know doesn't amount to much. The builder's brass plate displays the name EDUOARD RICHARD, of Marennes, France. The vessel was launched in 1971 and freighted across the Atlantic to the West Indies for a retired French judge. He sold it to a South African in the West Indies who took it through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to Brisbane, Australia, to sell it, in about 1980, to the person I bought it from. The FG hull is still in perfect condition and it is beautifully fitted out below in Brazilian mahogany. It also had a laid teak deck which I have since replaced with fibreglassed twin skin plywood. A search of French web sites has produced nothing except for one indirect pointer to the Eduoard Richard company ceasing business in about 1989. My French isn't that hot so I don't know whether they folded or were bought out by someone else.

It's a long shot I know, seeking information about a French boat on a British web site, but you never know who's reading these columns.



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[Lizzie_B]

What was she originally called/ radio call sign and dimensions? Then might be able to track something down for you through various family connections in boat building business.

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[Metabarca]

Have you googled with the spelling right? (Edouard not Eduoard). I've come across a couple of mentions in this forum - http://www.hisse-et-oh.com/forum/index.php - which is, of course, in French, and I reckon someone there will be able to help. A propos of nothing, did you know that Marennes is the oyster capital of the world?!

Happy hunting!

<hr width=100% size=1>Adriatic links here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>

 

[Lahara]

Original name was La Venvole, I think. Radio call sign unknown. She was brought across the Pacific without an engine so may not have had one, though the South African did install a trailing propellor generator for his fridge before he left America.

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[Lahara]

'Edouard' it is - an attack of the fumble fingers. Thanks for the link. I'll try and get a message (compiled by a French friend) posted there tomorrow.

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[Lahara]

Pix of 1971 French-built sloop

I have posted a couple of pictures of the vessel which might help. These are at

http://arweb.co.uk/aralbums/Boaters2/Lahara_AA.jpg

and

http://arweb.co.uk/aralbums/Boaters2/Lahara_BB.jpg

The original boat had through-deck chain plates and a porthole forward of the front window.

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