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NAN OF CLYNDER was built in 1956 and she was Peter Wilson’s second boat. His first boat was NAN OF KAMES Peter sailed her for a number of years and then decided that he wanted to start into racing. His second boat, NAN OF CLYNDER was built at the McGruer Yard at Clynder; hence the name.
His mainstay crew were two men, Joe Dean and Walter Brown. Walter was one of the McGruer cousins and was the rigger and sail adjuster. He was very important in Mr. Wilson’s crew, because he sailed in the six-meters with Willie McGruer, who was the six meter champion prior to the Second World War. Mr. Wilson took a stock cruiser eight meter designed by Mr. McGruer and, steadily over a period of about 12 years, rebuilt the boat, in terms of putting on better fittings, and all of these reflected the incredible technical abilities of his pattern and fabrication shops at Clyde Soot-Blowers.
NAN OF CLYNDER has been raced in Scotland and there are some records of her performance in the Glasgow Herald, Aug 24, 1959. She was also races in the Salish Sea by one of the previous owners Terry and Sandy Moore who were based in Victoria, BC also.
She has always been used as a private sailing yacht and had many owners and there have been many upgrades made to the boat along the years.
In 1965 until 1977 she was owned by Bert & Ruth Smibert, and can be seen as Nan’s owners in the 1966 Lloyds Register of Yachts. They moved to Vancouver Island from UK in 1972 and shipped NAN OF CLYNDER with them.
Between 1977-1985 she was owned by Peter Sargent. He spent their first year fitting her out for local cruising; oil stove, cockpit covers, teak decks, hatches, gimballed stove, propane storage box, boom gallows. Second year they left for Alaska in April and came home in November. On the following year they sailed around Vancouver Island twice, once each way. Peter’s next boat for 25 years was Kennet 11, a 1927 Mathews bridge deck cruiser. Only boat ever to win best boat three times at Victoria classic boat show.
NAN OF CLYNDER was owned from1985-1986 by Mike & Maureen Smith. They had her for just for few months and found that she didn’t meet their expectations. They sold her to Terry Moore who owned her untiul 2011. In that time she was refitted with a new cabin top based on the original design. Extensive year round cruising and racing in the Pacific North West. He later sold her to her currrent owner in 2011.
Nan of Clynder has always been used as a private sailing yacht. Below is a more detailed history of the owners and the upgrades made to the boat along the years:
If you look at the rudder stock, all of this stuff was machined down in Clydebank. The bottle screws were also machined in Clydebank. There is even an adjustment at the base of the mast which was machined at Clydebank so that the rake of the mast could be adjusted fore and aft when the mast was sitting on the keel post. The very metal stanchions in the doghouse vent the bilge to the outside. The port-hole above the cooking station would never have been tolerated by Mr. McGruer, which you would understand if you had ever been on a trial of a McGruer eight meter into the Garelough and the Clyde. I went on one of these trials when Mr. Wilson’s arch-competitor, Mr. Peter Odlum, was commissioning his newest eight-meter, “Inismara”. When they had come to the end of the trial, he bore the boat off so that, with all the sheets pressed in hard, such as we would be beating to windward, he put the boat to 90 degrees to the wind and watched what would happen. The wind was blowing about 25 to 30 miles an hour. Owners; Pasi Niemelainen (2011...) Vancouver, BC, Canada; Terry & Sandy Moore (1988-2014) Turkey Head SC, Victoria, BC, Canada; George AH Morrow (1983-1987) Victoria, BC, Canada; Mr & Mrs PA Sargent (1978-1983) Sidney, British Columbia, Canada; Mr & Mrs J Melrose Smibert (1966-1977) Greenock, Scotland; Peter M Wilson (1956-1965) Greenock, Scotland.
Built in 1956 for Peter Wilson
Between 1965-1977 she was owned by Bert & Ruth Smibert, who moved the vessel to Canada
New owner - Peter Sargent. He spent their first year fitting her out for local cruising; oil stove, cockpit covers, teak decks, hatches, gimballed stove, propane storage box, boom gallows.
Bought by Mike & Maureen Smith
Bought by Terry & Sandy Moore, wo owned her until 2011.
Refitted with a new cabin top based on the original design.
Purchased by current owner
Received two new frames in the engine room area.
Excerts from letter by Laurence Mercer McKingley to Terry Moore, 2001
If you are the owner of this vessel and would like to provide more details or updated information, please contact info@nationalhistoricships.org.uk
National Historic Ships UK acknowledges the financial support of its sponsors