Jan Harber
Active member
In the 1950s and '60s Bill Sutton (Sutton and Wiggins) built about 24 wooden boats at his Wakering, Essex yard, many to Lloyds A1 spec.
The first two were the 10ton centreboarders Amaris (for local builder Jack Silk) and Elizabethan (for Lt Cdr J.N. Wise DSC RNVR). These two were near sister ships to my father Jack Coote's Blue Shoal, designed by A.P. Bayzand and built by Souters of Cowes in 1950. Bill also built a 10ton centreboarder, designed by R.F. Freeman, in the same year as Elizabethan (1953).
I would like to find out what happened to these shoal draft boats and whether they are still afloat. Amaris was certainly still to be seen on the East Coast up to the 1990s (and I know that Blue Shoal, re-named Moonfleet is in Suffolk).
Bill built three Guy Thompson designs: Crisela, Callisto and Calliope VIII (re-named Moidart); the Robert Clark-designed Glen Maid; and from 1958 a string of Alan Buchanan RORC and EAORA racing yachts for owners mostly at Burnham on Crouch or the Medway.
These included Vae Victis, Vendetta (for David Clarabut at Upnor), Bonnet Rouge, Capella of Burnham, Cavalier of Kent, Dauber and Scorpion of Wyke (who went to Bridlington). Some of these were, I believe, of the Vashti class, and some can be traced on the very good Buchanan Owners Association website.
Bill's son and nephew are doing some family research and they too would be interested to hear if any of the fine wooden boats built by their dad and uncle are still going.
The first two were the 10ton centreboarders Amaris (for local builder Jack Silk) and Elizabethan (for Lt Cdr J.N. Wise DSC RNVR). These two were near sister ships to my father Jack Coote's Blue Shoal, designed by A.P. Bayzand and built by Souters of Cowes in 1950. Bill also built a 10ton centreboarder, designed by R.F. Freeman, in the same year as Elizabethan (1953).
I would like to find out what happened to these shoal draft boats and whether they are still afloat. Amaris was certainly still to be seen on the East Coast up to the 1990s (and I know that Blue Shoal, re-named Moonfleet is in Suffolk).
Bill built three Guy Thompson designs: Crisela, Callisto and Calliope VIII (re-named Moidart); the Robert Clark-designed Glen Maid; and from 1958 a string of Alan Buchanan RORC and EAORA racing yachts for owners mostly at Burnham on Crouch or the Medway.
These included Vae Victis, Vendetta (for David Clarabut at Upnor), Bonnet Rouge, Capella of Burnham, Cavalier of Kent, Dauber and Scorpion of Wyke (who went to Bridlington). Some of these were, I believe, of the Vashti class, and some can be traced on the very good Buchanan Owners Association website.
Bill's son and nephew are doing some family research and they too would be interested to hear if any of the fine wooden boats built by their dad and uncle are still going.