Yachts

C001: Josephine
C002: Cetewayo
C003: Frenesi of Clynder
C004: Undina
C005: Rebecca of Vineyard Haven
C006: Whirlaway
C007: Drumbeat
C008: Whooper
C009: Thendara
C010: Zoom
C011: Foglio
C012: Vanity V
C013: Talisker Mhor
C014: Pazienza
C015: Danegeld
C016: Mikado
C017: Elona
C018: Sensa
C019: Droleen II
C020: Corrie
C021: Lotus
C022: Mingary
C023: Dirk II
C024: Sceptre
C025: Thendara
C026: Outlaw
C027: Athena
C028: Bettine
C029: John Dory
C030: Swanilda
C031: Marigold
C032: Sally of Kames
C033: Monsoon
C034: Charm of Rhu
C035: Moonspray
C036: Firebrand
C037: Gluckauf
C038: Cereste
C039: Mitzi
C040: Roar for Joy
C041: Zahir
C042: Maria Hendrika
C043: Vivette
C044: Berenice
C045: Huff of Arklow
C046: Fairlight
C047: Iolaire
C048: Sibyl of Cumae
C049: Ilderim
C050: Dorothy
C051: Zaleda
C052: Dione
C053: Clarion of Wight
C054: Safir
C055: Shantih
C056: Eveline
C057: Shuttle
C058: Windflower
C059: Erica
C060: Cygnet of London
C061: St David's Light
C062: Leonie
C063: Tar Baby
C064: Caressa
C065: Tiger C
C066: Barbican
C067: A Day at the Races
C068: Kelpie
C069: Suzalah
C070: Rubicon
C071: Infanta
C072: Rampage
C073: Halcyon
C074: Thalassa
C075: Sinbad
C076: Lutine
C077: Twilight
C078: Alera
C079: Aeolus
C080: Nightfall
C081: Mossie Estelle

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Elona

Scottish navel architect James McGruer designed Elona, the 1962 long keeled 40ft yawl, as a "healthy, easily-handed, confortable cruising yacht of handsome appearance". Her design is certainly of handsome appearance. With her forward overhang almost 2ft longer than the counter, and the fair, sigmoidal curve of her forefoot leading to the deep ballast keel and sawn off counter, the result is a balanced profile end to end, which is indeed aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Her lines illustrate what a beamy boat she is - the hull lines fairly- full run with no sign of pinched quarters. The interior accommodation is spacious due to the beamy dimensions and in the 1970s Clare Lallow of Cowes removed the pilot birth on the portside in order to improve the layout.

As for her history, Elona was launched in June 1962 for James Mowat of Motherwell in Lankarkshire who derived the name by combining the names of his two daughters, Elspeth and Seona. She spent nearly ten years in her homeport of Clynder on the Gairloch, where she had been built in the McGruer yard, and cruised around the west coast of Scotland, visiting wilderness destinations such as Skye and Loch Torridon.

Roger Perrot, the present owner, saw her advertised in August 1987 and knew at once he had found his ideal boat lying on the Medina - wooden, 40ft long and yawl rigged. Elona is now kept in Guernsey, from where Mr Perrot cruises in her to France, and hopes to explore the West Country and sail back up to Scotland. Other than a few hairy incidents, which have proved to Mr Perrot that 'she is as tough as old boots' - in particular her running aground on the mud to the east of Lymington fairway, a misplaced rock off the west coast of Sark (which can only be hit at the lowest of the low astronomical spring tides!), her breaking off a mooring just south-west of Castle Cornet, Guernsey, and an unfortunate dismasting racing in February 2003 - Elona has given her crew years of magical sailing. He has undertaken much restoration and fitting out including taking off the keel and fitting one of Alan Cox designed traditional skylights.

Mr Perrot would appear to be in agreement with James McGruer, for to him Elona 'has the speed and accommodation for comfortable cruising, and the occasional race'. His admiration and joy for the idiosyncrasies of his wooden boat is fuelled by the knowledge that they are the product of the skills and individuality of a real craftsman.