Favourite

This Whitstable oyster yawl was designed and built by the Whitstable Shipping Company based at Island Wall, Whitstable, in 1890. Her port of registry is Faversham with the fishing number F69. Her hull is carvel built with oak frames and pitch pine planking, fastened with copper and bronze nails. She has a pointed bow with a plumb straight stem and counter stern. Her one timber mast is gaff-rigged, ‘yawl’ being a local term only. She was never fitted with an engine.

FAVOURITE was commissioned by Pikey Carden, the landlord of the Fisherman's Arms at Island Wall. She was employed by Carden and others in a private capacity, as a flatsman, to dredge oysters on the Kent flats off Tankerton. She was also under contract to the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company and the Seasalter and Ham Fishery Company to dredge the Whitstable native oysters from the Company controlled bed off Whitstable and Seasalter.

In 1918, FAVOURITE was sold to the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company who operated her until 1939. In 1920, the Whitstable oyster beds extended over five thousand acres with an annual trade of eighty to one hundred and fifty thousand pounds. However, in 1921-1922, seventy-five per cent of the stock was destroyed by the parasite Haxamita. In 1929, a severe winter hit the industry further.

FAVOURITE was machine-gunned by an enemy aircraft and began to sink. She was beached and dragged up the shore. After the Second World War, the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company did not resume dredging, but the Seasalter Ham Company did. However, FAVOURITE was left on the beach and in 1950, was found to be in the direct line of the proposed new sea wall. Rather than be broken up she was bought by Harry Hurford-Jones who dragged her to the landward side of the seawall and used her as a summer house.

In 1964, the Seasalter Shellfish Company (direct descendants of the Seasalter and Ham Company) started experiments into the scientific farming of oysters and, in 1967, they began selling oyster seed to other commercial companies. In 1972, the Pollard grounds were re-opened for commercial fisheries. In 1977, Mr. Hurford Jones sold his home at 28 Island Wall and the new owners, wishing to extend the cottage, gave FAVOURITE to the Whitstable Society.

The Favourite Trust was set up in 1978 with the expectation that her hull could continue to be preserved for a decade or so as a charming wreck but that she would eventually collapse. However an industrial archaeologist pointed out that she was 50% original and was the sole representative of a Whitstable Oyster Yawl in public ownership. Efforts were redoubled to support and preserve her hull as best we could with limited funds and to communicate her importance to the people of Whitstable through the good offices of the Whitstable Museum.

By 2000 it was clear that there was far more interest in preserving Favourite and some money had been raised with the result that a shipwright restored the stem and put in a more effective hull support system. The Favourite Trust had been registered as a charity and bids for funding were made with success from the Maritime Heritage Trail (Interreg III with others), Living spaces to improve the site where Favourite was displayed and the Heritage Lottery Fund to rebuild and create interpretation materials.
In 2005, shipwright Ashley Butler (http://www.butlers-wooden-boats.co.uk) was persuaded that Favourite could be restored by building new frames from the accurate lines taken off in 1978 and the topsides planking still in reasonable condition. Ashley’s concern was that it would be cheaper to rebuild a copy from scratch, however that would not fulfil the local people’s wish to preserve the last of the type still in Whitstable.
In the event an excellent job was done and the hull is on proud display just behind the seawall in Whitstable. We estimate that many thousands of people, both local and visitors, see Favourite over a typical year. With the help of Whitstable Museum, leaflets were designed and information boards created by a local artist John Cann. The rebuilding process was photographed and the set can be seen on the website www.favourite.org.uk.

In November 2009, Whitstable Museum created a exhibition based on the Favourite. This will run to February 2010 and then be translated into a permanent exhibit around a full-size replica frame.

1. 1997 Whitstable Times When hundred of yawls went oyster dredging
2. 1999 Whitstable Times Making a start on restoring the favourite
3. 1999 Whitstable Gazette Last oyster yawl will be preserved
4. 1999 Whitstable Times Rescue for an old favourite
5. 1999 Whitstable Gazette Mary Rose method a Favourite
6. 1999 Whitstable Gazette Town Favourite under threat
7. 2005 Classic Boat Ashley launches Lucie B