| Current Name: |
"Eala Bhan" |
| Former Name (s): |
"Sylphia" |
| Pennant (Service) Number: |
This class all had female "Shakespearian" names |
| Service (RN, RAF, RASC, RMAS, Etc): |
Royal Army Service Corp |
| Type of Craft: |
45ft "Shakespearian" Class General Service Launch |
| Displacement: |
? |
| Construction: |
Wood, Carvel, Round Bilge, Pitch Pine Hull/Decks Oak frames |
| Dimensions: |
46½ft oa 45ft bp x 12ft x 3½ft |
| Builder: |
Phillips Anderson & Co Ltd, Granton, Edinburgh (first coincidence) |
| Number in class: |
24 |
| Engines (Original): |
1 x Ailsa Craig RFR4 40hp Diesel, Single Screw |
| Knots: |
9knots |
| Engines (Current): |
1 x 40hp Glennifer Diesel (1936) |
| Knots: |
? |
| Date Completed: |
24/11/45 |
| Date Sold out of Service: |
18/9/56 |
| Registered Number: |
Not Registered |
| Port of Registry: |
Ditto |
| Call Sign (Army): |
MLYK |
| Armament as Specified: |
None |
ANY OTHER DETAIL
At the time of her sale “Sylphia” was lying at Leith and was advertised for sale in the Admiralty Small Craft Disposals list, Tender No. 150/9/56T, for September 1956, in Motor Boat & Yachting, along with “Paulina”, “Olivia”, “Lucetta” and “Cleopatra”. (The last two also still survive) She was described as Folio No. 16315/01856 built 1945, single screw Ailsa Craig RFR4 40hp diesel engine, good condition, offers. For permission to view apply Officer Commanding 99 Company R.A.S.C. (Water Transport) Cairnryan, Wigtownshire, Scotland.
An un-named Oban fisherman must have had the winning tender for the craft and after his discovery that he would need to do a lot of work before he could take “trips” he sold it on almost immediately.
Bought in 1956 at Oban by Mr David Brown who owned a timber merchant business in Fife. He named her “Eala Bhan” (white swan) as someone in his family made derogatory remarks about the name “Sylphia”. She was fitted out for family and holiday use, replaced her engine and he kept her for over thirty years, based mainly at Ardfern on the West Coast, until selling her to her current owner David Stamp in 1989/90.
David Stamp sailed her “round Scotland” to Leith and she was craned into her present berth around June 1990 (by this time the Victorian swing bridge between the outer basin of Water of Leith and the docks had ceased to operate, so crane was the only option). Though she still has her engine her use now is as the office for Gilmour & Stamp Architects & Planning Supervisors (David Stamp sole partner)
Sadly Mr Stamp recently died and his widow is trying to find a new home for the vessel which is not in very good condition. This is an extremely nice looking vessel but altered from her original appearance. There are about 8 known survivors of the class at present. |
