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Who Will Save Classic Belfast Lough Yacht 'Sorona' From The Scrap Heap?

13th February 2015
Who Will Save Classic Belfast Lough Yacht 'Sorona' From The Scrap Heap?

#yachttobescrapped – Round–the–world–yachtsman and Asgard restorer Pat Murphy has alerted classic boat fans to the fate of an Irish built Bangor S class 27' footer set to be scrapped next week. See more photos in the gallery below.

The 1963–built Sorona is in a yard at Monsterboice near Drogheda and has to be removed. According to Murphy and Dundalk classic boat colleague Charlie McCarthy, the owner is 'willing to let her go for the taking'.

The 27-foot S-Class boats are modest classics of their time representing a blend of styles and types. They were designed by Robert Slater in 1945, and all 22 of them were built at his boatyard the Shipyard Company in Bangor, Northern Ireland. (Sorona, the twentieth boat, was actually started by Robert Slater but completed by Bruce Cowley who bought the Shipyard Company from Robert Slater in the early 1960s, Bruce Cowley building the final two boats, Shejenka and Quinsibar, with their raised cabins). They manage to combine a little of the gentleman's yacht, a lot of the everyday cruiser built for an era of austerity, and just a touch of the tough working boat. More on the class history here.

Bought as a restoration project about seven years ago Sorona, the 20th boat of its type to be builtwas partly stripped and covered untill last summer. 'It is very sad to see a basically sound boat about to be smashed up' says McCarthy. 

For more informaton on Sorona contact [email protected]

 

Published in Historic Boats
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