Name Damapura

DAMAPURA is a 43-foot classic Scottish motor yacht built on the River Clyde in 1938. Constructed as a luxury gentleman’s motor cruiser during the interwar era, she represents pre-WWII naval architecture and traditional Scottish boatbuilding craftsmanship.Her original construction drawings and plans remain archived at The Ballast Trust in Glasgow, a foundation dedicated to preserving records from Scotland's industrial past.

She was designed by the respected naval architect W. G. McBryde as "Plate 28" in his volume Forty Designs of Motor and Sailing Yachts. Constructed at Gourock, near Glasgow, by James Adam & Sons in 1930 and named BETHAMAR.

DAMAPURA  was built with 1-inch thick mahogany carvel planking on heavy oak frames, featuring a bold sheer line, well-proportioned wheelhouse, and varnished mahogany topsides with splined seams. Originally fitted with twin 15 h.p. Kelvin-Ricardo paraffin engines turning twin screws.

 She was featured in Yachting World (August 1938) as a premier example of a modern, versatile Scottish 43-footer suited for open water and Western Isles cruising.

Between 1938 – 1950  BETHANAR was owned by her first custodian, K McLeod of Renfrewshire and first registered at Greenock under Official Number 7772, she was requisitioned by the Admiralty during World War II for government service on the Clyde.

Between 1950 – 1975 she was purchased by N Sharples of York. Her Part 1 British Registration was transferred to Goole in 1969 when her name was changed to SHIANNE.

From 1975 – 2010 she was owned by AMerrington of Chiswick and stationed at the Severn Motor Yacht Club in Worcester, earning club awards during her time on the Severn.

From 2010 – 2026 she was acquired by P Shatz of Weybridge in December 2010. Her registration was transferred to the Isle of Man and her original name, BETHAMAR was officially restored.

In July 2026 she was bought by her current owner. Upon taking ownership, she was renamed her DAMAPURA - an acronym honouring his children's grandparents (David, Margaret, Pushpa, and Ram) and an ancient Sanskrit phrase meaning "Sanctuary of Internal Peace." Under this new chapter, she will be made available for private charters and static stays, offering the wider public an opportunity to experience her capability and beauty, as a true sanctuary of peace and tranquility amidst the noisy confusion of modern life.

Immediately following her purchase in July 2026, the owner commissioned Dennett's Boat Builders in Chertsey for extensive restoration work. This included comprehensive hull repairs, fitting a low noise generator, installing low-power internal lighting, and rebuilding her transom, finished in a 10-coat varnish with her new name inscribed in gold lettering.

While maintaining her authentic main saloon and historic interior aesthetic, DAMAPURA has undergone periodic, sympathetic modernisations to preserve her operational seaworthiness. She has been re-powered with twin Leyland TD38 diesel engines generating 75 hp each, offering an 8-knot cruising speed and significantly greater reliability than her original paraffin engines. She has also been fitted with hydraulic steering gear integrated with a Raymarine autohelm system.The focsle was updated into a modern forward cabin with a separate wet room and heads. The redundant heads were converted into an expanded galley with an integrated deck light and large cool box.

DAMAPURA boasts a rich and storied seagoing heritage, shrouded in historical fascination. Requisitioned by the Admiralty during World War II, her precise operational duties and movements on the Clyde were never officially recorded - a mystery that surrounds her wartime service with an enduring air of intrigue.

In her post-war life, she has proven to be an exceptionally capable cruising vessel rather than a static exhibit. Her recorded voyages include extensive passages exploring the West Coast of Scotland, navigating through the Inner Hebrides, circumnavigating Skye, and crossing the Minch to Barra in the Outer Hebrides.

Under her new ownership, she is initially based on the River Thames, with plans to return to coastal waters for the upcoming season.