BRAYMAR

Boat Type: Motor cruiser, ketch rig
Boat Length: 49ft 3ins
Boat Beam: 10ft 6ins
Boat Draft: 4ft 6ins
Boat Displacement: 18tons
Boat Engine: Perkins P6M
Boat Construction: Carvel, pitch pine on oak
Boat Builder: Courtney & Newhook, Lymington
Boat Year: 1910

There can't be many private motor yachts which can claim - as the Braymar can - to have seen active service in two world wars. Built in 1910 by Courtney and Newhook in Lymington, to a design by Cox and King, she was named Braemar and it is not clear when the spelling of her name was changed.

In 1914 she was owned and commanded by Lieut. George Paxton. On August 13th, 1914, Braemar left for Le Havre, and helped with the landing of the Expeditionary Force. She then returned to England, had a week's refit, and subsequently went on Coastal Patrol based at Yarmouth on the East Coast, where she and Kiwi were blown ashore in a howling gale in November, but were salved about a week later.

After World War I she had one or two more owners, but a Mr. Bray completely rebuilt her when he came across her advertised in one of the yachting journals in 1936. He gave her a streamlined wheelhouse, concealed lockers, a Chrysler engine and sound insulated her throughout.

When World War II began, Braymar, who had also distinguished herself by winning the London to Cowes race no less than five times in six starts, joined up again. Her size, speed and sea-worthiness made it easy for her to cross the Channel laden with troops, but her 4ft 6ins draft did not enable her to work from the beaches. Ironically she suffered major damage, not from air attack, mines or shells at Dunkirk but from quite another hazard commonly faced by old wooden boats. She was laid up ashore for ten years after the war and completely dried out so that her planks and topsides parted and started to deteriorate.

Unfortunately, despite the efforts of Anthony Pay, her recent owner, she has been stripped and was burned on the banks of the Thames in 1998.

Updated: 15/10/99.