Need help identifying the boats in the photo. Taken near King Farouk's rest house in Hurghada, Egypt in 1940s.

[Dizzolt]

Did these boats belong to any well-known boat manufacturers or were they locally built?

 

[veshengro]

I think you would need a clear close up photo of each boat to stand a chance of a positive ID on those boats, to be honest.

 

[Dizzolt]

I think you would need a clear close up photo of each boat to stand a chance of a positive ID on those boats, to be honest.

I couldn't find any clearer photos, unfortunately, but did any manufacturers have a similar or possibly identical design from that time period?

 

[veshengro]

I wish I could help, but Personally I know little about motor or powered boat design, even the modern ones. If they had masts and sails I might be able to help. The one on the right could even be a conversion of an ex Naval Pinnace. Just after the War a lot of such boats were converted to private use, but that's just a wild suggestion because the hull looks a bit 'Non leisure Craft' to me
Look at www. Apollo Duck.com and type in the search box Naval Pinnace and scroll through the 14 photos.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Apart from military boats, most leisure craft of that era were built to order, and even boats nominally of the same design might differ quite a lot. If those belonged to King Farouk, they might well be unique.

 

[Tranona]

Almost certainly locally built but maybe based on similar boats built in the US or Europe but adapted to local conditions. In those days almost all boats were individually built, although in the US there were serial producers, but there was little export trade because there was no economic advantage over locally built boats.

 

[Dizzolt]

I wish I could help, but Personally I know little about motor or powered boat design, even the modern ones. If they had masts and sails I might be able to help. The one on the right could even be a conversion of an ex Naval Pinnace. Just after the War a lot of such boats were converted to private use, but that's just a wild suggestion because the hull looks a bit 'Non leisure Craft' to me
Look at www. Apollo Duck.com and type in the search box Naval Pinnace and scroll through the 14 photos.

There are quite a few similarities in design, but as AntarcticPilot and Tranona said, it could be custom or locally built most likely

 

[veshengro]

There are quite a few similarities in design, but as AntarcticPilot and Tranona said, it could be custom or locally built most likely

I quite agree with their suggestions too, I don't know enough about motor boats to disagree. It was just the 1940's date that coincided with my first thoughts about the photo and the shape of the hull on the right. A lot of equipment, boats, vehicles, even aeroplanes were put to civilian use once released by the Military authorities, and that hull struck me as Pinnace like..but those boats could well be out of an Egyptian Boat Yard.

 

[Dizzolt]

I quite agree with their suggestions too, I don't know enough about motor boats to disagree. It was just the 1940's date that coincided with my first thoughts about the photo and the shape of the hull on the right. A lot of equipment, boats, vehicles, even aeroplanes were put to civilian use once released by the Military authorities, and that hull struck me as Pinnace like..but those boats could well be out of an Egyptian Boat Yard.

Are there any sources that might have information or documentation of local built boats and where can I look for them?

 

[veshengro]

I have never travelled ashore in Egypt, so I have almost Nil knowledge of the country, but I have been through the Suez Canal many times and stopped briefly with cargoes in places from Port Said in the North and other ports on the Canal. Ismailia just up from the Great Bitter Lake and down at Suez, Port Taofik. The only boat building that I ever saw was boats literally being built along the shore line in places. Wooden boats made by local people using hand tools, wooden scaffolding and the finished boat dragged down the beach probably by a Farmer's Tractor. The Egyptians have been building boats in that manner since the time we were hitting each other with stone axes, so a home built boat could originate anywhere.

Now, the places that we used to pass by like Hurghada and Marsa Alam which were one Donkey Gulf villages are now modern Tourist Centres which may or may not have a boatyard, although as the last two are now popular Scuba Diving Centres, they may well have boat repair if not building facilities. Perhaps an exhaustive Internet search or Library visit for Egyptian Boat Building or Boat Repairs might reveal something? Another place you may get info is the forum Cruiser.net I think it's called. Perhaps someone on there has experience of calling in to an Egyptian Boatyard on their voyages?
Apart from that I'm stumped I'm afraid.

 

[Dizzolt]

I have never travelled ashore in Egypt, so I have almost Nil knowledge of the country, but I have been through the Suez Canal many times and stopped briefly with cargoes in places from Port Said in the North and other ports on the Canal. Ismailia just up from the Great Bitter Lake and down at Suez, Port Taofik. The only boat building that I ever saw was boats literally being built along the shore line in places. Wooden boats made by local people using hand tools, wooden scaffolding and the finished boat dragged down the beach probably by a Farmer's Tractor. The Egyptians have been building boats in that manner since the time we were hitting each other with stone axes, so a home built boat could originate anywhere.

Now, the places that we used to pass by like Hurghada and Marsa Alam which were one Donkey Gulf villages are now modern Tourist Centres which may or may not have a boatyard, although as the last two are now popular Scuba Diving Centres, they may well have boat repair if not building facilities. Perhaps an exhaustive Internet search or Library visit for Egyptian Boat Building or Boat Repairs might reveal something? Another place you may get info is the forum Cruiser.net I think it's called. Perhaps someone on there has experience of calling in to an Egyptian Boatyard on their voyages?
Apart from that I'm stumped I'm afraid.

The location in the photo is where Hurghada Maritime Port stands today. There is also a boat-building and repair shipyard, although I’m unsure if it existed during the time of King Farouk. The rest house and dovecote are no longer present, suggesting the area has undergone some changes. Is cruisersforum.com the site you meant?

 

[veshengro]

Is cruisersforum.com the site you meant?

Yes, Cruisersforum. Hurghada was just one of the places that marked our passage down the Gulf of Suez, I never docked there and it has obviously grown tremendously since the 1970's. You are probably aware that there is an ongoing incident involving a locally built wooden vessel that has sunk with some Scuba Divers aboard in that general area. When more information becomes available you may be able to find out if the yard that built that vessel has a history of boat building from earlier years.

 

[Dizzolt]

Is cruisersforum.com the site you meant?

Yes, Cruisersforum. Hurghada was just one of the places that marked our passage down the Gulf of Suez, I never docked there and it has obviously grown tremendously since the 1970's. You are probably aware that there is an ongoing incident involving a locally built wooden vessel that has sunk with some Scuba Divers aboard in that general area. When more information becomes available you may be able to find out if the yard that built that vessel has a history of boat building from earlier years.

Yes, I've heard about it. Strangely, I was banned from the forum, and no reason was specified.

 

[veshengro]

That's strange! A case of mistaken identity perhaps, or a Computer hiccup on their part?

 

[Dizzolt]

That's strange! A case of mistaken identity perhaps, or a Computer hiccup on their part?

I created an account yesterday and received an activation email. When I click on 'Post a New Thread,' I get a message saying that I'm banned.

 

[veshengro]

Ah! Perhaps someone with more knowledge of Forums tactics will suggest a course of action or give advice? I know as much about computers and forums as I do about Llama breeding.

 

[Dizzolt]

Ah! Perhaps someone with more knowledge of Forums tactics will suggest a course of action or give advice? I know as much about computers and forums as I do about Llama breeding.

It's alright, haha. I sent a message to the webmaster regarding my issue. Hopefully, it gets resolved soon.

 

[Bilgediver]

Is cruisersforum.com the site you meant?

Yes, Cruisersforum. Hurghada was just one of the places that marked our passage down the Gulf of Suez, I never docked there and it has obviously grown tremendously since the 1970's. You are probably aware that there is an ongoing incident involving a locally built wooden vessel that has sunk with some Scuba Divers aboard in that general area. When more information becomes available you may be able to find out if the yard that built that vessel has a history of boat building from earlier years.

I used to be involved with an oilfield drilling company in Egypt and the manager there operated several dive boats as well as his own gin palace out of Hurgarda . The latter looked like it could have come out of Poole however all were locally built out of timber and I am pretty sure the yard was on the Nile near Cairo,

These larger wooden boats were designed with lines that gave the appearance of a fibre class boat. Maybe they have now adopted fibre glass as the boats I saw were built in the 80's /90's.

 

[Dizzolt]

I used to be involved with an oilfield drilling company in Egypt and the manager there operated several dive boats as well as his own gin palace out of Hurgarda . The latter looked like it could have come out of Poole however all were locally built out of timber and I am pretty sure the yard was on the Nile near Cairo,

These larger wooden boats were designed with lines that gave the appearance of a fibre class boat. Maybe they have now adopted fibre glass as the boats I saw were built in the 80's /90's.

That's interesting. I think there are still some wooden boats being built today, but probably not as much as before. Do you have any information on boatbuilding history in Hurghada by any chance?

 

[Bilgediver]

That's interesting. I think there are still some wooden boats being built today, but probably not as much as before. Do you have any information on boatbuilding history in Hurghada by any chance?

I first visited Hurgharda in the mlate 80s and it was just a wee town starting to get noticed by the sub aqua folk There was no obvious signs of boat building so if any was going on then it was probably just small open fishing boats.

I would go out for 3 day jaunts with our boat being used to catch fish to be taken to Cairo for the family plus office staff and easily catch 300. Our managers boat was probably at about 15 metres, the largest on the dock the fishermen used open wooden boats around 10 metres that looked locally buil.
No marina then just the old stone jetty.