Guest Book

15/10/2014

If you have any recollections, further information which you would like to share or more general comments, please do post a message using the form below.

26 Comments

Giles Briggs

16/10/2014 09:28:25 am

Hi there

I think I own the boat in your picture "1930 Hythe Boat Race" would you have any more pictures of speed boats from about this time, my boat is a baby Gar 26 which is triple cockpit and has a distinctive raised deck. I think she was owned by a lady racer Mrs Carstairs

Giles

Colin West

16/10/2014 09:34:44 am

Hello
Congratulations on the restoration of "Seran" and the quality of your website, I once lived and worked aboard MV Byeed in 1985, for several months whilst lying in Gibraltar. I understand that she was also designed and built by Frank Maynard at Chiswick. I would really like to trace the boat or at least research her history.
I wonder if you can help in any way.
Kind regards
Colin W

Judith & Mike Bulger

18/10/2014 07:45:42 am

This is a pretty impressive website for yachties and historians alike. What a lucky girl is Seran to have found such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable owner in what seemed to be her twilight years.

This should be appended to the Regnart family history if I had sufficient techy ability.

Stéphane Monnier

5/11/2014 06:04:47 am

Hello,
congratulation for your website. As a Linton Hope "specialist" I inform you that another Maynard boat is still existing, Mollihawk IV,
she was based in Wivenhoe some ten years ago, and should still be around. A very interesting boat.

Best regards,

Stephane

Paul Cowman link

18/5/2015 03:10:09 am

Hello,

Interested to hear all about Seran and also Mollihawk 1V which belonged to close friends of mine. I have been trying to locate Mollihawk for some years now so I can reunite the former owner now approaching 100, nearly as old as the boat!
Perhaps you could let me know if you have any contact information.

Regards, Paul

Andrew Wheatley

6/2/2017 11:07:38 pm

I have owned MOLLIHAWK IV for over 30 years -- Linton Hope, built Maynard 1914. Would love to contact Stephane Monnier ref. her future. Many Thanks Andrew Wheatley

Andrew Robson

18/2/2017 11:18:51 pm

Hello Andrew, Whilst walking around a cold and wet Wivenhoe last weekend I caught a glimpse of a boat through a courtyard and rather cheekily wandered into the yard to have a look, while looking slightly sad and neglected she really was a stunning boat. We could not make out a name anywhere but suspect that she may well be Mollihawk 4. If so and you are the current owner I would love to know what your future plans are for her, and possibly have a better look around her,
Best regards,
Andrew

Colin Davis

19/2/2017 09:18:20 pm

Hi Andrew, great to hear from you. If you email me at [email protected], I will put you in touch with Stephane. Many thanks

Clare McComb

5/3/2017 01:35:08 am

Hi my great uncle owned Mollihawk IV in the early 1920s. Please feel free to contact me tel 07411257235 Clare

Clare McComb

5/3/2017 01:43:20 am

Dear Stephane my great uncle owned Mollihawk IV in the early 1920s - he also owned another boat - a dinghy designed by Linton Hope - do you know if there is an archive of his designs anywhere? I think he and my great-uncle were friends. Also
the McClean Buckleys for whom she was built - hope you can help thanks Clare my tel is 07511258235

Julian Tanner

26/1/2015 02:11:02 am

I really like some of the engravings you have on this site of the original Chiswick boathouse. Is there any way of purchasing these?

Thanks,

Julian

Jon Geale Dickson

29/3/2015 08:31:13 am

Hello, have greatly enjoyed reading your website and was very pleased to see one of Halliday's boats on the Thames. I have a barge on the Thames and have been researching my great grandfather's boat building history (Geale Dickson). Would be very grateful if you would have any sources for further reading. currently
Kind Regards
Jon

Paul Cowman link

18/5/2015 03:15:07 am

Hello,

Great to hear of Seran and love the website.

You may like some photos of another Frank Maynard built yacht, Mollihawk 1V. Let me know and I can email them to you.

Regards, Paul

Andrew Robson link

17/11/2023 08:37:01 am

Hello Paul, I realise that your post was some years ago but I was wondering whether you would mind forwarding me some pictures of Mollihawk IV. It has been a little while since I have been to Wivenhoe but whenever I am there I do go take a sneaky look at her, while her present state is somewhat sad and worrying she is still a thing of beauty and I would love to see how she was rigged and looked in better times and on the water,
Kind regards,
Andrew

Sarah McLaren

8/1/2016 01:54:18 pm

Hi, Im doing some family research. My grandfather was a tailor, starting in Ross-On-Wye in the early 1900's, moving to Southampton (we think) in the 1930s then to Swindon in the 1940s. He passed in 1962. We still have a box of buttons, among those are some black plastic buttons with BMBC and the clubs crest. Is there anyone i can speak to who would be able to look back through the records to see when these buttons were used, whereabouts in the country they were used and possibly any invoices or paperwork with any info about tailors on. Im desperate! We have missing years from my grandfathers life and a "secret" family we knew nothing about. Any info about clothing and who made it would help.
Im sorry this post isnt more "Boaty".
Thanks in advance
Sarah

Colin Davis

31/1/2016 10:02:52 pm

Hi Sarah, thanks for your email. Not sure I can help too much on the button design / specifics but it would suggest an involvement with the club or club members between late 1904 and early 1933.

I have seen brass buttons previously but not the black plastic type, perhaps you could email a photo?

I do have B.M.B.C. membership lists for a number of years in the 1920's so if you can let me have any further details I can take a look and see if we can make a connection.

All the best
Colin

Sarah

1/2/2016 12:32:44 pm

Hi Colin, thanks for your reply, you have helped with the dating and the offer to check your lists, that would be fab thankyou. Ill set the camera up and get a decent picture, where do i send the photo and details please.
Many thanks
Sarah

Judith Bulger

1/2/2016 10:04:57 am

I wonder if it is worth asking Benson & Clegg, London, if they have any knowledge. They have been in business a long time selling military, naval, sporting etc.buttons.

Sarah

1/2/2016 12:37:12 pm

Hi Judith, Im trying to contact Firmin and Sons, they are the makers of the majority of these buttons. Sadly there is no makers name on the back but im hoping Colin will be able to help with his list.
Many thanks
Sarah

Colin Davis

14/2/2016 10:01:25 pm

Hi Sarah, if you can email me any further info at [email protected] I will take a look. What was your grandfathers name?
Many thanks
Colin

Andrew Robson

6/11/2016 10:15:34 am

Hello Colin,
I have really enjoyed the Seran website, I have just agreed purchase of "Maralia" and would be grateful if you could let me know any information you might have regarding her and her history.

Sharon Evans link

18/8/2017 09:57:14 pm

Hi everyone.
We are purchasing an WW2 RAF 56ft Pinnace No26, built by Harland & Wolfe Ltd, Belfast... yes the same company that built the Titanic!
We have notified the archivist at Dunkirk Little Ships who has informed us that she is a new find.

There were 31 of this class built by various builders and numbered 1-31. (7-12 & 14-15 were 54ft and the rest were 56ft. some were single screw and some were twin screw.)

Of the 5 known survivors we have 5, 24, 26, and two unidentified.

The steam Picket Boat was developed from the 63ft craft that were carried by Capital ships from 1863, to be launched and carry out attacks on the enemy fleet. They were never used in such a role but became maids of all work for ships.

The 56ft was the most numerous and became a classic of its type. After service with the Royal Navy many of the type became the 56ft seaplane tenders for the Royal Air Force. the steam engines were removed and replaced by assorted engines, this particular craft was fitted with the Thorneycroft paraffin/ petrol engines. They were used mainly for carrying crews out to seaplanes and general tug work such as towing floating landing lights and moving large seaplanes around the bases. The craft were constructed with the best quality and some even survive today in working order.

Now we are trying to do some research... we really need a photo of RAF 56ft No26 taken during the war, and also would love to get hold of a blueprint of her build... but we don't know where to start. I am going to go the the RAF museum in London to see if they can help. but the more people that now know her number, we may find something .. as yet scanning the internet has not been very fruitful... we have seen 24, 26, 17 and a few others taken during the war but no No 26. I hope someone out there might be able to shed some light.
Thank you

Nigel Walley link

16/10/2020 09:37:31 pm

I am running a social history project in Grove Park looking at the history of all the building and we would love to Talk to you about informon Maynard Boatyard. Thanks in advance. Nigel

Liz Bradley

21/2/2022 09:31:14 pm

Hi,
I'm doing some family history research. My gt uncle was Theophile Desnos. He raced from 1905. He was vice commodore of the club from 1913 to 2921, and commodore also I believe. His motor boats included one called Eileen II, and Cockleshell (seen in pictures) 'a sun-beamed 21ft racer'. I wondered what happened to these boats? Also whether he ever won anything!? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks. Liz

Julia Jones link

16/11/2023 07:24:55 am

Wanted to let you know that I discovered the postwar story of Naromis (Higley Halliday) and have added it at the end of the paperback edition of Uncommon Courage

Christian Boerner link

14/8/2024 06:54:58 am

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!
While searching for a model of a cabin cruiser, I came across your site and decided to build a 1:16 scale model of the cabin cruiser "Nanona".
Unfortunately, the model on your site is only a limited approximation of the original. I am therefore trying to contact you to request the highest possible resolution of the article from the September 1926 issue of Motor Boat magazine.
If you do not have the article, please forward my request.
Yours faithfully
Christian Börner
Germany-Berlin

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