Lymington Slipway 5 tonner

[d-zine]

I’m looking for information on the Lymington Slipway 5 tonner designed and built by George O’Brien Kennedy between 1947 and 1951.
Sixteen boats were built, winning the Round Island Race in 1948,53 & 54.
I would like to find out the names for all 16 boats and hopefully how many survive and where they are.
There is very little information recorded, in the designers biography he states that they were designed in 1943 in his spare time while working in the drawing office at Vosper and that materials for construction were sometimes scavenged from the closed British Powerboat Company yard after its closure.
I have recently become the guardian of Sardrette in Hartlepool and will be undertaking a slow restoration. Joanne of Kyle was active 5 years ago before an accident in a boatyard and Emily was up for sale a couple of years ago.
Other names for boats in the class are Catopuss, Anassa, Pastime & Barbar.

 

[d-zine]

The following images are taken from George O’Brien Kennedy’s biography showing a section through the hull and the designer at the helm of the prototype.

 

[jamie N]

Welcome! She looks a very good classic. I've no knowledge of these, but ostensibly she seems very Folkboaty-SCODy, but slightly larger; not a bad thing at all.
Purely out of interest, have you photo's of her at present, as well as is she inside or outside, and where in the World are you?
A slow restoration is a term that hides a lot of hard work, which never really ends as once it's done, there's still 10% left to do; Forth Rail Bridge type of stuff.
By the way, you're in the right place for some very knowledgeable support, and the reverse.

 

[d-zine]

She’s in Hartlepool Marina in the northeast of England….. currently outdoors.
At the moment she’s being assessed and stripped back to solid structure…… the hull is good and strong after 71 years, however the deck, deckhouse and doghouse need to be completely replaced most deck structure and deckhouse structure is okay and can be used as patterns and in many parts reused.

 

[jamie N]

I know exactly where you are! Great pics, buts that's an immense task to undertake, but the hull's sound so it's a good base.
Will you be able to have her undercover for any part of the restoration, and are you doing the work yourself?

 

[d-zine]

I know exactly where you are! Great pics, buts that's an immense task to undertake, but the hull's sound so it's a good base.
Will you be able to have her undercover for any part of the restoration, and are you doing the work yourself?

I’m still in the planning stages for the restoration, at the moment it’s about stabilising and securing from the weather.
A lot of the work will be carried out by myself because that’s part of the enjoyment for me, some work will be outsourced and I have a friend with a joinery workshop who will assist with fabrication of the replacement deck house and dog house.
She’s 27ft long so not to big a project, certainly manageable.

 

[dombuckley]

I’m looking for information on the Lymington Slipway 5 tonner designed and built by George O’Brien Kennedy between 1947 and 1951.
Sixteen boats were built, winning the Round Island Race in 1948,53 & 54.
I would like to find out the names for all 16 boats and hopefully how many survive and where they are.
There is very little information recorded, in the designers biography he states that they were designed in 1943 in his spare time while working in the drawing office at Vosper and that materials for construction were sometimes scavenged from the closed British Powerboat Company yard after its closure.
I have recently become the guardian of Sardrette in Hartlepool and will be undertaking a slow restoration. Joanne of Kyle was active 5 years ago before an accident in a boatyard and Emily was up for sale a couple of years ago.
Other names for boats in the class are Catopuss, Anassa, Pastime & Barbar.

My copy of the 1964 Lloyds Register of Yachts lists 12 still active at that time:
Albis (184236), built 1949, homeport of Brough.
Babar (182365), built 1948, home port Poole.
Baby Roo (183631), built 1950, home port Hamble.
Binker , built 1950, home port Lisbon.
Brigadoon C (186450), built 1954, home port Heybridge.
Cactopus (183629), built 1949, home port Bosham.
Kenetha (183929), built 1950, home port St Peter Port.
Peri (183636), built 1950, home port Poole.
Ruddigore III (183633), built 1950, home port Hamble.
Seafire (185207), built 1951, home port Shoreham.
Sea Martin (183564), built 1949, home port Skippool.
Starway (182663), built 1950, home port Poole.

Many will have had their names changed over the years, but should still have the registered number on the main beam.

Four additional boats are listed as having been built by Lymington Slipway, but to different designs by Laurent Giles and Arthur Robb.

Good luck with the restoration!

 

[d-zine]

Thank you for that list of names, would it be possible to search he current register using these numbers?

Sardrette is registered 182817 that would make her earlier 48/49 would that be correct?
Lymington Slipway Engineering ltd was only in business for a couple of years and George O’Brien Kennedy did not go into great detail in his biography “Never all at Sea” about this design other than to say he won the 1948 Round the island race as crew not owner.
I will do my best to document the work and update to this page

 

[d-zine]

George O’Brien Kennedy “ Not all at Sea”

 

[Tranona]

Thank you for that list of names, would it be possible to search he current register using these numbers?

Sardrette is registered 182817 that would make her earlier 48/49 would that be correct?
Lymington Slipway Engineering ltd was only in business for a couple of years and George O’Brien Kennedy did not go into great detail in his biography “Never all at Sea” about this design other than to say he won the 1948 Round the island race as crew not owner.
I will do my best to document the work and update to this pageView attachment 131281

Speak to the registry in Cardiff, although expect most now will have lapsed the registration on the Part 1 register.

 

[d-zine]

I’m trying to get in touch with the owner of Joanne of Kyle to see if they have there registration number to add to the information I have received.
I’m not sure if George O’Brien Kennedy’s family are still active in the boating industry or if they have any records, reading his biography I get the feeling that he would move on and leave his past behind him.
I also need to get in touch with the boatyard in Wales where Emily was recently sold from to see if they have any records or contact details for the owner.

Emily (Note the prop is on the centrelin)


Joanne of Kyle

If anyone one has historic photos of other Lymington Slipway 5 tonners please feel free to share.

 

[Wansworth]

I think I saw one in Pains boatyard in Emsworth…..in need of care

 

[jamie N]

It's good to read stuff from a fellow addict!
With my own boat, it's very much the same where the boat and the 'task to do' list is never very far from my thoughts.
This weekend I'm not allowed to go to the boat as friends of hers from Uni (1970's) are coming to stay, and I've had to promise not to blame them for the good weather, which I could've used in helping varnish my cockpit; "It's not their fault!" apparently.........
My wife compares the boat with a scene from "Genevieve".

 

[d-zine]

It's good to read stuff from a fellow addict!
With my own boat, it's very much the same where the boat and the 'task to do' list is never very far from my thoughts.
This weekend I'm not allowed to go to the boat as friends of hers from Uni (1970's) are coming to stay, and I've had to promise not to blame them for the good weather, which I could've used in helping varnish my cockpit; "It's not their fault!" apparently.........
My wife compares the boat with a scene from "Genevieve".

I know the feeling

 

[d-zine]

I think I saw one in Pains boatyard in Emsworth…..in need of care

I will look into that, is anybody close enough to have a look?

 

[Wansworth]

I will look into that, is anybody close enough to have a look?

Afraid I am in Spain….I think there one or two forum members who keep their craft there

 

[d-zine]

Thinking about other yachts that are similar in design to the lymington slipway 5 tonner I cam across an almost identical one off in Glasgow .
She’s a 19/24 Clyde class racing yacht from 1911, later modified from a transom to a canoe stern.
Despite being restored in 2012 by the Scottish maritime museum she had fallen on very hard time.
I wonder if she’s been rescued?

 

[d-zine]

My copy of the 1964 Lloyds Register of Yachts lists 12 still active at that time:
Albis (184236), built 1949, homeport of Brough.
Babar (182365), built 1948, home port Poole.
Baby Roo (183631), built 1950, home port Hamble.
Binker , built 1950, home port Lisbon.
Brigadoon C (186450), built 1954, home port Heybridge.
Cactopus (183629), built 1949, home port Bosham.
Kenetha (183929), built 1950, home port St Peter Port.
Peri (183636), built 1950, home port Poole.
Ruddigore III (183633), built 1950, home port Hamble.
Seafire (185207), built 1951, home port Shoreham.
Sea Martin (183564), built 1949, home port Skippool.
Starway (182663), built 1950, home port Poole.

Many will have had their names changed over the years, but should still have the registered number on the main beam.

Four additional boats are listed as having been built by Lymington Slipway, but to different designs by Laurent Giles and Arthur Robb.

Good luck with the restoration!

With these I count 18 names that are associated with the Class.
Binker was not one of the class but a special one off that was sold on to Portuguese owners when money was short.

 

[dombuckley]

Yes, you're quite right: I must have mis-read Binker's tonnage as 5 rather than 8. The joy of middle-aged eyes...

 

[Kirsty2510]

I’m trying to get in touch with the owner of Joanne of Kyle to see if they have there registration number to add to the information I have received.
I’m not sure if George O’Brien Kennedy’s family are still active in the boating industry or if they have any records, reading his biography I get the feeling that he would move on and leave his past behind him.
I also need to get in touch with the boatyard in Wales where Emily was recently sold from to see if they have any records or contact details for the owner.

Emily (Note the prop is on the centrelin)
View attachment 131293

Joanne of Kyle
View attachment 131294
If anyone one has historic photos of other Lymington Slipway 5 tonners please feel free to share.

Hello I believe this may have been my grandfather’s boat in the sixties? Does anyone know anything more about her?