Name Truant

TRUANT was originally built as a private yacht by Messrs. Pearce at Looe in 1919.  She was registered at Shoreham and her official number is 145634. It is believed she was ketch-rigged and had twin engines fitted originally. Her first owner died just before the Second World War, and she was laid up in the harbour.

In 1946, she was bought by the author George Millar who, with his wife, took the boat through the French canals to the Mediterranean and on to Greece. She was the first private yacht to sail up the river to Paris after the war. Millar sold her in Greece the same year but wrote a book about his adventures entitled Isabel and the Sea. 

TRUANT’s new owner was Major General J. G. W. Clark, a decorated ex-cavalry officer who sailed her back to the United Kingdom and owned her until 1948. Subsequently, little is known of her ownership until the late 1960s/early 1970s, when she was owned by Commander W. H. G. Saunt, a WW2 veteran.

In 1972, TRUANT was purchased in the Mediterranean by G Cridland, who sailed her to Morocco, the Canary Islands, and Banjul in The Gambia, where she stayed for a year. She was then purchased by D Pratt in 1977, who owned her until 1980. Between 1980 and the early 1990s, she was based in Falmouth. At some point, she was owned by P Firstbrook, and between 1995 and 1996, she was owned by C Differing.

In 2004, she was purchased by T Evers of Bristol. At that time, she was standing on the hard where she had been for some years. In July 2005 she was relaunched after restoration work at Mark Rolt's shipyard in Bristol, which included recaulking all seams, some plank renewal, stem renewal and other works. During this time, she was fitted with twin Perkins diesel engines.

TRUANT was purchased by her current owner in 2010, who moved her to Eastbourne and subsequently Rye, East Sussex, where she is currently based. Since then, a large amount of work has been done to bring her hull, deck and general condition up to a good state. This has included fitting new frames, some floors, some refastening, a new rudder, refurbished and fitted engine beds, new bulkheads, new port holes, deck overhauled with replacement sections and epoxy sheathed, and a new wheelhouse roof. The mast and rigging were overhauled and are awaiting installation. As of July 2025, the vessel is for sale.