Py *

Awaiting Design Information : Published ---
Design by Harrison Butler & RCJ Hervey

  
 

Fly By Night
Fly By Night was designed by RCJ Hervey and built by Kris Cruisers Ltd in 1935.
A top of the range, cutting edge design of the time, she could
manage over 30 mph from her two 150 HP Chrysler engines.
Down below she had two bunks with cooking and toilet facilities.
This photograph taken from the September 1935 issue of Yachting Monthly.

An interesting collaboration, or a glitch in the Lloyd's Registers ? 
In taking over the website, Py*, was presented to me as being designed by both RCJ Hervey and Harrison Butler. However, the majority of RCJ Hervey's published designs are motor sailers and motor cruisers. A collaboration with Harrison Butler seemed unlikely, although both published designs throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Having finally got around to looking up some Lloyd's registers, I found Py* easily. She's listed in 1936 as an Auxiluary Sloop of 22' with RCJ Hervey named as the sole designer. All his other designs listed in that year's register are motor sailers. From 1947 onwards Py* is not mentioned until, in 1972, she is again recorded but with Harrison Butler listed as the designer. Is this simply a correction to an earlier mistake ?
It would seem not because in 1974 Py* is again listed but now with both men given credit for her design. So, I've put a little more flesh on the bone on a puzzle but not solved it. Should any reader know more, I'd love to be informed.
Paul Leinthall-Cowman, who recently sold a Kris Cruiser motor yacht, comments; “It is possible that Py* was built for the owner of the Kris Cruiser yard on the modified lines of a Harrison Butler design with RCJ Hervey taking the credit initially. Her measurements are basically those of the Tabloid 16 design of 1928”.
 Py * herself is unfortunately one of our pink star 'lost' Harrison Butlers in the sense that the Association has not known where she is since 1976, or even if she still exists at all. We would, of course, love to track down Py* or obtain some photographs of her.

Py Statistics
Built : 1934 by Kris Cruisers of Isleworth
LOA : 22' 0"
LWL : 19' 1"
Beam : 6' 9"
Draught : 3' 5"
Displacement : 4 tons TM
Lloyd's Register : 163543, London
OGA Boat Number : 0768
Signal letters : MBYZ

Py Custodians
Capt JH Macpherson of Dunmore (?-1972-1976-?) Granton
CP Loveland (?-1947-?) London
Comdr EC Wrey RN (ret) (1937-?) London
Lt-Col Robert Hall OBE (?-1936) London

Py Links
• None found (October 2017)

Page last updated : October 2017

 
  

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