Alysia 

(ex Meaford Maid)

An Invited Friend of The Harrison Butler Association
The Bermudan Sloop built in 1972 to Alan Buchanan's Scorpion Design

Alysia on her pontoon berth in Caernarfon, Wales, January 2020
Photograph by Martin Hansen

Alysia : For Sale, January 2020
An interesting wooden Alan Buchanan designed boat has popped up for sale in Caernarfon marina, North Wales. Initial interest stemmed from the fact that she was not on the Buchanan Known Boats List under her current name, Alysia. I took a trip to Caernarfon to see her for myself, January 2020. Her owner, John Peglar, suspected she had previously been called Meaford Maid, but that's not on the list either. The interest grew by what was not on her brokerage listing; who built her? John though she had been built in Great Wakering, Essex. This made sense to me because several other Buchanan designed boats were built there by the firm EW Sutton & RJ Wiggins. Further research resulted in the composition of the following list of all known boats built by this firm.

Boats built by EW Sutton & RJ Wiggins between 1952 and 1973
Amaris : 1952 : 11 tons TM : AP Bayzand
Alemana : 1963 : 14 tons TM : ---- : 308052
Bonnet Rouge (ex Jabula) : 1959 : 11 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 301718
Calella : 1960 : 7 tons TM : J Francis Jones : 301954
Calliope VIII (Became Moidart)
Callisto : 1955 : 6 tons : Guy Thompson : 187777
Capella of Burnham : 1960 : 11 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 300561
Capella of Kent : 1964 : 15 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 307387
Cavalier of Kent : 1963 : 11 tons : Alan Buchanan : 303305
Chasseur of Hamble : 1964 : 10 tons : Alan Buchanan : 306711
Cee Jay : 1956: 16 tons TM : CF Griffiths : 187414
Crisela : 1952 : 6 tons TM : Guy Thompson : 187625
Dancing Beggar (ex Whisky Glass) : 1967 : 10 tons : Alan Buchanan : 334661
Dauber : 1964 : 10 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 305846
Elizabethan : 1953 :10 tons TM : AP Bayzand : 185931
Endil : 1973 : -- : --- : 366181
Four Graces : 1963 : 10 tons TM : Alan Buchanan
Glen Maid : 1956 : 10 tons TM : Robert Clark : 187406
Jabula (Became Bonnet Rouge)
Kudoso : 1958 : 9 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 300395
Lady of Hamford (ex Vendetta) : 1962 : 11 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 303076
Moidart (ex Calliope VIII) : 1956 : 9 tons TM : Guy Thompson
Quintet : 1953 : 10 tons TM : RF Freeman : 186524
Scorpion of Wyke : 1965 : 10 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 305781
Shiraz : (ex Zeenar II, Vae Victis) : 1961 : 10 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 303426
Surian : 1962 : 6 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 303603
Surrian Too : 1970 : 11 tons TM : Allan Buchannan : 339823
Surita : 1970 : 10 tons : Alan F Hill : 339822
Swedenorer : 1963 : 9 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 308053
Tekka (ex Toi et Moi) : 1965 : 10 tons TM : Alan Buchanan : 306318
Thirza : 1972 : 7 tons TM : ---- : 362964
Toi et Moi (Bacame Tekka)
Uchawi : 1966 : GRP Catamaran : G Prout & Sons Ltd
Vae Victis (Became Shiraz)
Vendetta (Became Lady of Hamford)
Whisky Glass (Became Dancing Beggar)
Zeenar II (Became Shiraz)

What are Alysia's origins ?
The first thing to arise from studying the list is that it's unlikely Alysia was built and sold as a finished product in 1972. In fact, John has a suspicion she had been build in 1963/1964. Take out the non Buchanan designed boats, those who's current whereabouts are known, those with the wrong tonnage, and the list of possible boats that Alysia could be is fairly small. The lack of a physical Lloyd's number etched into a beam on Alysia would suggest she might be Four Graces. However, perhaps Alysia was only part built with the boat being internally fitted out by her initial DIY minded owner over a number of years. That build could well have resulted in a proper finished launch date of 1972 under the name Meaford Maid. As is often the case with such mysteries, I can contribute a little toward narrowing down the possibilities but it then needs a reader to get in touch with some additional information. Meanwhile a rather smart, fast boat is available to buy.

Alysia Statistics
Built : 1972 by EW Sutton & RJ Wiggins in Great Wakering, Essex, England
LOA : 32' 6"
LWL : --' -"
Beam : 9' 2"
Draught : 4' 8"
Displacement : 6000 kg, probably 10 tons TM
Lloyd's Register : N° ------
Signal Letters : MJYU8
Sail N° ---

Alysia Custodians & Home Ports
R John Peglar (2001-2020...) Caernarfon, Wales
Unknown Owner (?-2001)
Unknown Owner (?-1972-?)
First Owner (1963-?)

Alysia Links
• Alysia For Sale (January 2020)

Page last updated : January 2020

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