"Amokura", Moody Yawl Lying Hamble
"Amokura", Moody Yawl Lying Hamble
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History
'AMOKURA' was made famous by George Millar in his 1950's cruising book "OYSTER RIVER", having bought her with royalties earned from his best-selling book "MAQUIS" - the story of his war years as a member of the SOE for which he was awarded the MC and DSO medals. Recognised as perhaps the finest example of Frederick Shepherd's designs, Amokura was one of Eric Hiscock's favourite yachts and she was featured heavily in the first edition of his book "CRUISING UNDER SAIL". Built as a cruiser/racer in 1939 for Sir Ernest Harston, ADC to Lord Mountbatten, she was laid-up during Word War II and was one of the first yachts to visit France after the war. The guest book of her time in Harston's ownership is a veritable "Who's Who" of post-war yachting luminaries. She spent most of the 1950's cruising on the south coast of England and the next 20 years cruising the Mediterranean and Adriatic. In the early 1980's, 'AMOKURA' returned to the U.K. where she was gutted and completely refastened with copper rivets. Amongst other works, she had a new, modern, interior fitted (designed by John Munford) as well as a new deadwood & rudderpost. Her galvanised steel floors were replaced in aluminium bronze and a new, massive, stainless steel mast-step was fitted.
Her previous owner found her languishing in Portugal and brought her back to the UK to Lowestoft, where she underwent a comprehensive 5 year rebuild during which she was again completely gutted and given a beautiful new traditional light-oak panelled interior that was more in keeping with her original interior. The entire cockpit and all her deck structures were removed, taken apart and rebuilt and virtually all of her teak-laid deck and covering-boards were replaced, together with some hull planking, frames and rudder. Her chain locker, battery boxes, and gas-locker were rebuilt. Her keel-bolts were drawn and checked and all skin fittings and hoses were replaced. Her topsides were then splined. Many new stainless fittings were custom fabricated including new pulpit, stanchions, shroud-plates, boarding ladder, stem-head fitting, passarelle fitting and rudder fittings. Her bronze deck fittings were polished and re-chromed. All her gear, nav-lights, rigging, domestic services, fridge & freezer, plumbing, wiring & electronics as well as her tanks, engine, exhaust and stern-gear were also replaced in 2000/2001. A new bowsprit was fitted and the sails were returned to Ratsey & Lapthorn for cleaning and repairs etc. She was bought by her current owners in Majorca in 2004, had some remedial work done prior to sailing her back to the UK and then had more work done by the famous Elephant Boatyard at the beginning of 2005. She has cruised on both sides of the Atlantic and is an easily handled, comfortable and safe, family yacht. |
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