Motor Boat & Yachting – August 2019

Civil engineer J. E. Dagless was a
keen motor cruising man who, in
the late 1950s, felt that there was a
gap in the market for a seaworthy
50ft cruiser. He also felt that
traditional boat yards of the time
were ineffi cient and that series
production would allow him to
build high quality boats more
cost-effectively. So in 1958 he hired
East Coast naval architect J. Francis
Jones as a design consultant and
set to work building himself a boat.
It was well received, including a
favourable review by MBY in 1959,
so he started production of Fleur
De Lys cruisers, naming them after
a town in France he’d visited. The
fi rst was a 52, but he created a

range up to 95ft, building them

eight at a time in a modern

factory in Cambridgeshire.

INTERIOR

Drop down from the raised

wheelhouse and you’ll fi nd a

comfortable lounge. Head down

again for a large dinette, galley,

heads and forward cabin with twin

bunks. Back aft is a third cabin with

bunk beds and the master cabin,

modifi ed from the original twin

singles either side to a single and

a double (part of an extensive refi t).

There’s even a bathroom back here

with a proper bath in it!

EXTERIOR

Sweeping teak decks, teak-capped

rails and fabulous wooden

skylights waft you straight back to a

different era. The spacious aft deck

is a genuine delight with a hard top

from which canopies can be hung

for all-year-round boating.

PERFORMANCE

Twin Perkins 6354 diesels give a

steady 8 knot cruise; 10 knots fl at

out, which is entirely in keeping for

a gentleman’s motor yacht. Leave

racing about to the riff raff.

SEAKEEPING

It’s a 40-tonne boat, so progress

should be statesman-like, and

without too much unseemly rolling,

thanks to the Vosper Mini Fin

hydraulic stabilisers. Plenty of

planning is needed for berthing

given the sheer momentum.

Powering into a berth and then

dialling up a fi stful of astern is

likely to end in tears, so take it

slowly and practise carefully.

FLEUR DE LYS

LOA 52ft 6in (16.0m) Beam 15ft 6in (4.7m) Draught 5ft 6in (1.7m)

Displacement 40 tonnes Fuel capacity 2,000 litres

Engines Perkins 6354 120hp diesels

FOR SALE Wooden Ships; http://www.woodenships.co.uk

FIND ME A SECONDHAND...

BUILT 1966 PRICE £63,000

wild

card

The elegant saloon is straight
out of a different era and feels
all the more special for it

The master cabin originally had

two single berths but was made

into a double during a refi t