In response to Val's (whose excellent blog can be read here) request to see some more pics of Emblem, I have dug into the files and found a few.
She was built in Scotland by Forbes of Sandhaven in 1934 as a Seine Net Drifter. She was and is Larch Planks on Oak Frames.
In 1940 she was Requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war duty as a harbour duties boat and she was rumoured to have taken part in the Shetland Bus run although myself and previous owners were never able to confirm that fact.
She did survive an attack from the Luftwaffe however and in 1945 she was decommissioned by the admiralty and returned to fishing complete with a new Gardner 4L3 engine which is still in use today.
She eventually moved south following several changes of ownership and eventually she found herself laid up in Cowes on the Ilse of Wight were she was purchased and restored and converted into a cruising pleasure boat.
Emblem in her original design
'Laid up' awaiting rebuild
Note the original Fish Hatches which were retained on her conversion and used as skylights
This is how she looked following her conversion in the Mid 1970's
Looking from the saloon into the galley showing her heavy Oak deck beams
The Trusty Gardner 4L3
She was 'Dry docked' every year for Anti fouling on her hull and repainting the topsides
Particular attention was paid to the Seams to make sure they were watertight, The Black patches are the Bare Wood of the Larch Planks where the Primer and Anti foul had peeled away.
We, the previous owners and myself did all the work ourselves.....with help from friends of course and following 2 weeks in Dry dock she looked splendid when finally the spring tides returned and she was re floated
And finally Emblem on display as an exhibition at the famous Oostend Voor Anker Festival which she has attended under her own steam for the past 7 years of which I was proud to be a Crew member for 4 visits and the Skipper for 2 Visits
Not bad for an old Tub is she.
2 comments:
Geoff, she's gorgeous!! What a lovely set of photos, and I can feel the love and care that went into her. Thank you so much for posting these! It must have been hard to part with her, although I imagine all the maintenance (every year in dry dock!!) must have been hard. I suppose that's the way with a wooden hull. These days I take my 110 year old Vereenging out on the slipway every two years, but it's fairly routine, and none of the calking (is that how you spell it?) that you need with a classic wooden hull. The festival at Oostend must have been really special. Lovely lovely stuff!
It was a difficukt descision, but, I like to think of it as me having a small part to play in Emblems long history, and keeping her going for the short time she was in my hands...if that makes sense
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