White Heather

Poole Pilot by a design by Ashton

White Heather under sail
Image from The Boatman, N° 7, Jun/Jul 1993
Photograph by Beken of Cowes, 1932
(Tracked down by Tim Frearson)

Poole Pilot Investigations
After placing Harrison Butler's 1910 Poole Pilot design online I've had several emails regarding the boats built in the early 1900s by Ashton & Kilner. Interest has focussed on the boats that are known to have survived; Lone Wolf, Reprieve and Iseult. Another boat rumoured to still be around is White Heather, last definitely heard of in the 1990s when the then owner was trying to raise money to fund a restoration. She is rumoured to be, or recently have been, in a tucked away corner of Portland Marina. More about White Heather's history can be found on the OGA website.
(Tech Note : Listed as White Heather IV in Lloyd's Register for 1931)

White Heather is mentioned in John Leather's Gaff Rig Handbook
The following is the key passage

White Heather Statistics
Built : 1907 - 1908 by Ashton & Kilner, Poole, England
LOA : 35' 8"
LWL : 30' 7"
Beam : 11' 0"
Draught : 6' 4"
Displacement : 13 tons TM
Lloyd's Register : N° 131802
OGA Boat Number : 1640

White Heather Custodians & Home Ports
Michael R Clark (?-1993-2017...) Portland Marina, England
Huw Powell (1980s & 1990s)
M Formosa (1974-1976-?) Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, England
James HN Malcolm (1960-1973) Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, England
Eric Long (?-1954-1959) London, England
David Cobb ROI (1948-1952-?) London, England
Lt-Col LA Liddell (?-1947) London, England
William N Leach (1939-?) London, England
John HN Wrohan (?-1936-1938) London, England
WH Watkins (?-1931-1934-?) Poole, England
Alfred Biggs Chandler (?-1927-1928-?) Poole, England
H Meldrum (?-1923-1924-?) Poole, England

White Heather Links
• White Heather on OGA website

Page last updated : October 2017

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