Falcon

Current boat name

Falcon

Boat class

7540

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

8.23 / 27ft

Beam (m / ft)

1.82 / 6ft

Leeward

Keel

Masts

One Wood

Propulsion

Steam

Designer

Simpson,Strickland & Co ltd

Date of build

1895

Place of build

Dartmouth, Devon

Present use

Museum/ofB

FALCON was built in 1895 by Simpson Strickland at Dartmouth to the yard's design number Type 19. She was built forSir Edmund Lacon. There is a gap in the early history of the vessel and it was in this period that the hull and the original Kingdon quadruple expansion engine and it's boiler becames separated. It is known that the steam plant was replaced with a 4 cylinder petrol engine. In 1937 the steam plant was found and put into storage. At some time her name was changed to VERA. During WW II she was used by Banham's tard at Horning to tow unfinished Motor Launches and Motor Torpedo Boats to other yards on the Broads and to troll the river at Horning for unexploded bombs. During this period her petrol engine was replaced with a Parsons (diesel?) engine. In 1960 she was sold to Percival's yard at Horning.In 1972 the Parsons engine was removed and the hull was sold. About this time Mr Rupert Latham became interested in the original steam plant, and the engine and boiler were overhauled by David King. Meanwhile Mr Latham searched and found a suitable hull in which to install the unit. It is believed that this hull is in fact the original hull. In 1977 the FALCON was re-launched at Wroxham and she continued to be used under steam until donated to the Museum of the Broads in 1997. The Museum worked to maintain her but her boiler, having failed an inspection, was replaced in 2005. During the winters 2006/7 and 2007/8 the boat was given a major refit which involved stripping and rebuilding the quad expansion engine. October 2010 (Archive)