Avocet

Current boat name

Avocet

Boat class

7256

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

6.55 / 21ft 6in

Beam (m / ft)

1.88 / 6ft 2in

Leeward

Keel - bilge

Masts

1 wood

Rig type

Sloop

Propulsion

Sail

Designer

Harrison Butler T

Design date

1911

Date of build

1932

Place of build

Burnham

Present use

Restoration

Built as WEE BESS to a design by T Harrison Butler based on a yacht called MEMORY, moored at Burnham-on-Crouch in the 1930's. The Memory design is a slightly smaller version of the Hong Kong design (1909) where a number of boats were built forming a one-design class. Frank Haywood, the then Chief Architect for the City of London, instructed Reginald Prior Boatbuilders to build WEE BESS to the same design as MEMORY: these were the only two to be built in the UK. Priors were predominantly barge builders so great care was taken in the building of Frank Hayward's boat. In the 1950's her 2nd owner, Mr Turner, renamed her AVOCET. As can be seen above AVOCET has passed through a number of owners in various East Coast harbours until she was bought by the presernt owner at Newark on Trent in 1988. After a refit at Judges Boatyard, Hawford, Worcester in 1990 AVOCET was then predominately sailed in the Bristol Channel from her mooring on the Stratford River Avon. Having been laid-up for a number of years AVOCET is now being professionally restored at Saltash in Cornwall. 28/01/2012 NRJ