Classic Boat – August 2019

RA

EN

Turning his hobby into a business was

a dream for yard owner Tony Wollard

THAMES

TRADITIONS

YARD VISIT

OTTER MARINE

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS MIKE TAYLOR

“B

ack in June 1997 I turned my hobby into a business

and since then I’ve never looked back,” says Tony

Woollard, owner of Otter Marine based at Platts

Eyot, Hampton on the river Thames. Access to

this leafy island location is either by steel footbridge or by boat.

In 1868 John Isaac Thornycroft set up the Hampton Launch Works

here building cruisers and speedboats and later manufacturing

wartime Coastal Forces craft. One of his yards is thought to have

been where Otter Marine is located. At the outset, there was just

an open slipway. Then, around 1909 a power winch was installed.

Part of the workshops were enclosed in 1948 and since then the

fi nal section was added making the facilities fully weatherproof.

“I’ve had a varied career,” continues Tony. “I started as an

electrician, then worked in the brewery industry. For pleasure

I bought an old Princess 37 and kept it on the Thames doing the

repairs myself. Next, I took a boat safety o• cer course and found

these premises. I formed Otter Marine and our fi rst boat in for work

was the ex-survey vessel, Goldonia.”

We begin our tour outside by looking at three vessels, which

played their part in World War Two and have recently been restored

at Otter Marine. The fi rst is the delightful St Joan, a centre

wheelhouse 52ft cruiser with spacious sleeping quarters forward,

and an elegant and bright saloon aft. She was built in 1929 by

Brooke Marine using Canadian redwood on steamed oak and

elm frames and ribs, with varnished pitch pine decks.

Interestingly, St Joan won the Penton Hook Trophy at the

26th Thames Traditional Boat Rally at Henley in 2003 for ‘Best

Restoration for boat and crew’ and was runner-up in the ‘Best

Presentation of Boat and Crew’. In 2018 she was awarded the

title of Historic Ship of the Year.

“She recently changed hands and came into our yard for repairs

to her decks, and new showers and fl ushing heads,” says Tony.

“She is powered by twin 115hp Cummins diesel engines and I’m

just waiting for some parts to refurbish the starboard engine.”

Next we look at two Dunkirk Little Ships. Lady Gay, another

centre wheelhouse yacht was built in 1934 by Zabell Bros of

Westcli¡ -on-Sea, Essex. Constructed of pitch pine on oak she

was originally powered by twin petrol/para• n engines but, not

long ago she was fi tted with two modern Nanni N4.50 units.

“In 2017 we undertook a complete below-the-waterline overhaul

90 CLASSIC BOAT AUGUST 2019