Name My Vera II

MY VERA II is a motor cruiser of timber carvel construction with a hull of pitch pine and has twin BMC diesel engines. She was built by J Husk & Sons of Wivenhoe in 1934.

It is believed that she was shipped to Ireland during the Second World War and later became Myvera, although launched as Motor Yacht Vera II.

In 1947 she was moored in Rochester on the River Medway and affiliated to the Rochester Cruising Club. She was moved to moorings in Shoreham, Sussex, in 1948 and then onto the Thames where she was kept at Tough's Boatyard, Teddington. She was affiliated to the British Motor Cruising Club and the Little Ship Club. Later in the '50s she moved upriver to Tagg's Island and was affiliated to the Upper Thames Motor Boat Club.

From about 1965-1974 she was owned by Roy Hancox.  When acquired, she had suffered quite a large amount of damage with the port side being holed above the waterline. Hancox repaired the boat himself at Toughs in Teddington. After that she was relocated to and permanently moored each summer at Brightlingsea, Essex. She was used as a family pleasure craft every summer weekend and was motor sailed as far as Ostend and Calais. She made one trip across for the Small Ships celebration, flying the small ships flag. Roy Hancox's son Alan remembers being told that she was one of the Dunkirk small ships, but has no evidence apart from there being a boat called Vera on their registry.  

The boat was also used for trawling and fishing, and was motored back up the Thames and onto the canal network as far as Reading for the opening of the refurbished Kennet and Avon Canal. Each winter she was motored back to London and moored at St Pancras Basin on the Grand Union Canal. This was to enable winter maintenance as the family lived in Camden Town. The boat was affiliated to two local clubs, St Pancras Cruising Club and Camden Boatowners Association.  For various reasons after 1970, the vessel was used a lot less and eventually was put on a tidal mud mooring still at Brightlingsea and sold in about 1974.

We are lacking information on this particular vessel. If you have any information on this vessel past or present, please contact us.