William Osborne Owners

[Bruce1679]

Hello

As owners of a 1960s, 37 foot express cruiser from William Osborne we are looking to connect with owners to share knowledge and progress.

We scoured the web for info and unfortunately looks like the owner group is down. We have set up a Facebook group called William Osborne Owners Group.

If anyone is aware of information sources around the boats or the company it would be great fully received.

 

[burgundyben]

There was a user here called Aztec, he had a Kingswift for many years.

 

[jbweston]

My mother and father owned Lillena II in the early 1970s, She was (and still is) a 37 foot Osborne. She was based in Poole at the RMYC in Sandbanks and then in Lymington.
SOLD - 37ft. OSBORNE EXPRESS CRUISER - 1968 - Project for Completion - Lying: Surrey - Classic Yacht Brokerage
and
37ft Osborne Express Cruiser Project Restoration for sale from United Kingdom

If anyone is interested I know a little of her history.

 

[Brian Lovelock]

My mother and father owned Lillena II in the early 1970s, She was (and still is) a 37 foot Osborne. She was based in Poole at the RMYC in Sandbanks and then in Lymington.
SOLD - 37ft. OSBORNE EXPRESS CRUISER - 1968 - Project for Completion - Lying: Surrey - Classic Yacht Brokerage
and
37ft Osborne Express Cruiser Project Restoration for sale from United Kingdom

If anyone is interested I know a little of her history.

Hi, We are the current owners of Lillena 11 and now known as Finesse.
We have carried out a 3 year systematic rebuild of her and now completing plumbing and wiring.
She now has a good survey and almost ready to go back to sea.
Would love to hear about her past.
We are based at Thornham Marina should you wish to view her, just let me know.
Kind regards Brian

 

[jbweston]

Hi, We are the current owners of Lillena 11 and now known as Finesse.
We have carried out a 3 year systematic rebuild of her and now completing plumbing and wiring.
She now has a good survey and almost ready to go back to sea.
Would love to hear about her past.
We are based at Thornham Marina should you wish to view her, just let me know.
Kind regards Brian

Hi Brian

I just happened to be on here when you posted the above.

I'll be very interested to see Finesse, and in the meantime will put finger to keyboard to type up what I know of her early history.

I have some old photos and many colour slides but unfortunately they're not grouped by boat name but mixed with a load of family stuff. It will take me longer to sort them out. Here are a couple of pics, scanned from old colour prints so not brilliant quality. Taken when the boat was based at Berthon in Lymington, probably around 1975.

Julian

 

[jbweston]

PS I see from an old copy of Lloyd's Register of Yachts that Finesse was her original name, so you have restored that too.

Also in the above photo of her in her berth, the sailing boat at the extreme right is Clare Francis' Nicholson 32, 'Gulliver G' in which she had sailed singlehanded across the Atlantic in 1973. Just a historical note.

 

[Brian Lovelock]

Julian,

Many thanks for response and the photos.
It is definitely our boat shown in the photos.
We have changed a few things following our purchase of her, she now has an Ocean Blue hull and white topsides.
Teak decks are now coated in wood skin.
The engines are untouched but thoroughly serviced with new instrumentation with electronic gauges rather than the copper capillary tubes.
We have added an 8kw generator for mains power
All hatches replaced and additional ones fitted to allow some air in the cabin.
We are currently replumbing and finishing off all new electrics.
We have fitted a navigation station in the front cabin so all instruments are inside.
A new instrument panel has replaced the old Formica white unit with new switches and gauges
Some more of the old photos would be great just to see what she was like.

 

[Brian Lovelock]

PS I see from an old copy of Lloyd's Register of Yachts that Finesse was her original name, so you have restored that too.

Also in the above photo of her in her berth, the sailing boat at the extreme right is Clare Francis' Nicholson 32, 'Gulliver G' in which she had sailed singlehanded across the Atlantic in 1973. Just a historical note.

Hi Julian,
A copy of the LLoyds register would be great if you have that available ?
I cannot find anything on line.

Many thanks and regards Brian