Name

Monarch

Built between 1900 and 1930 by Heywoods, Southend-on-Sea, as a Southend Bawley or cockle boat, MONARCH's hull is carvel built of oak frames and pitch pine planking coated in ferro concrete and her current engines are twin inboard 4 stroke diesels by Standard model TEF20 made in 1955. She worked as a passenger boat carrying 72 passengers from Southend beach during the summer and dredged cockles in the off season. She was commandeered by the Royal Navy during World War II and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation. Reverting to her previous trade, she continued until 1972 when she was converted to accommodate sea angling parties. In 1975 she was refitted as a private cruiser by East Midland Boat Service. Her present owner has her based at Cookham on the River Thames. In Spring 2007, work was carried out to fix a rather severe leak. The boat was put on the hard at Shepperton Marina, the leak was located and remedial action was progressing well.