Historic vessel offered free to a good home
St George (1935 Passenger Vessel)
www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/1413/st-george
HISTORY
Built as GONDOLIER PRINCESS by J. Bolson & Sons Ltd. of Poole. She was a Poole Harbour trip boat from 1935 to 1939 and was taken over by the Admiralty during the Second World War. After the war, she was re-named ST GEORGE and moved to the Thames, where she ran river trips from Tower Bridge until the late 1960s. Subsequently, she took the public for fishing trips in the lower Thames Estuary until she was bought by the current owner in 1977 and converted to a pleasure boat. One highlight of her long life was being one of the 670 vessels that took part in the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012.
SPEC
Her hull, which was ferro sheathed in 1983, is carvel built with oak frames at six inch spacing and pine planking. She is fastened with copper nails and roves and has a pointed bow, with a plumb straight stem and a cruiser stern. She is ketch rigged with gaff sails and the current engine is a Ford 4D, with four cylinders and sixty-two horsepower, made in 1969.
CURRENT CONDITION
Her owner became ill with dementia some years ago and is now in full time care. ST GEORGE has suffered from neglect during this time and is now in a poor state of repair. In 2024 she took on water through the stern gland, which required all the carpets and soft furnishings being removed. Then in November 2025 she took on more water, and she was down by about 18 inches until early January 2026, when she was refloated by a team from River Canal Rescue. That team could not find any obvious water ingress and thought it likely that rainwater had got between the ferro cement hull and the original wooden hull. Since than she has been covered by tarpaulins and has remained dry inside.
In her heyday, ST GEORGE was a fine-looking vessel and a happy home for the current owner and his wife for many years. This would be a large project for anyone to take on; hence we are happy for her to be given away to anyone willing to give her a new lease of life. She is moored at Willow Moorings, Kegworth, Leicestershire. If needed, there is a boat lift that can lift her, only four miles away.
CONTACT DETAILS
Please email info@nationalhistoricships.org.uk to be put in touch with the owner's son, who as his Lasting Power of Attorney, is handling the transfer on his behalf. Please bear in mind that the owner's son is based in Australia, so may not be able to respond immediately.
