multiple fresh coats of paint, antifouling and varnish, it was hard to
see how they’d finish her on time.
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL Summer 2017
Much to the IBTC’s credit, on June 15 this year, almost exactly 70
years after she was first built, Isabel II was formally relaunched
with a small party to celebrate finishing their first refit. It proved
to be quite an emotional moment as my 88-year-old aunt, Octavia
O’Reilly, popped the cork and wetted Isabel II’s bows with a splash
of bubbly. As the sole surviving daughter of my grandfather’s eight
children, she’d been there to welcome Isabel II into the family shortly
after World War II and here she was again welcoming her back.
As for Isabel II, she looked like an entirely different boat to the
tired, rotting, and concerningly wobbly structure which chugged into
the IBTC’s dry dock in autumn 2015. The original brief was not to
turn her into a precious museum piece but to restore her to a safe,
stable state that we could continue to enjoy day in, day out. As well
as being a workhorse for countless picnics and fishing trips over
the years, she has been the star of several family weddings and
parties. My brothers and I even used her to scatter the ashes of
both my parents. That’s why to me and my grandfather’s numerous
descendants, Isabel II isn’t just a boat, she’s a much-loved family
member and thanks to the work that the IBTC has done, she will
continue to be for many more years to come. As the watch advert
says, we may never actually own her, but at least we’ve done our
bit by looking after her for the next generation.
The pristine
forecabin with its
new oak timbersBack where
she belongs in
Poole HarbourNew teak decks sit
on sheathed plyHugo and his aunt
Octavia celebrate
Isabel II’s relaunchWareham provides
the perfect setting for
Isabel II’s fi rst outingOWNER’S UPGRADE