Shellbend

Current boat name

Shellbend

Boat class

6942

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

2.38 / 7ft 10in

Beam (m / ft)

0.84 / 2ft 9in

Leeward

None

Propulsion

Oar

Designer

Reade M T

Design date

1890's

Place of build

Liverpool

Present use

Museum/MMM

Designed by Mellard Treleaven Reade the founder of the 'Shellbend' Foldingboat Company of Liverpool in the late 1890’s, these craft were intended to fill the need for a space saving tender for small yachts. Unlike other folding boats the SHELLBEND, of which there were several sizes, was made largely of wood as opposed to canvas or rubber. This meant it had considerable strength. The folding mechanism was made by proofed canvas along the chines so allowing the sides to fold inwards. The 10 ft long version weighed 112 lb (50 kg) and could be set up in 12 seconds. Larger versions were adopted by the Army and played an important part in WW II. The boat was light and collapsed to one fifth its total depth: Reade claimed that one man could assemble the boat in twelve seconds. Although the Shellbend Company was based in Liverpool, the majority of the boats themselves were built by W Roberts & Co of Chester. This example was acquired by the Merseyside Maritime Museum in 1990. GH Oct 2012