Solace

An Invited Friend of The Harrison Butler Association
Built by David Hillyard in 1929

Solace : The Saga Continues...
An eagle eyed John Ridgway has spotted Solace - the Hillyard famously wrecked on the Solomon Islands in 1954 whilst attempting a circumnavigation. The locals helped to repair her and she limped home under her own hull, the entire escape being written up in the book On The Wind Of A Dream, written by Commander Victor Clarke.
John writes, “I remember seeing her ashore and looking very sorry for herself in Coombes Boatyard Bosham for many years. The next I heard of her was when her new owner, the Commander's grandson, asked me for some guidance on her re-construction in his garden in Portesham, Dorset. The original repairs were still visible. He had bought her back and was prepared to spend a few years rebuilding her. I went down and had a look and the work was proceeding to a very high standard although it was going to be a long job. That was a few years ago now and it's pleasing to hear she's completed and afloat once more. I seem to recall him saying that his hope was to make the same voyage again, this time without the shipwreck !”

Dramatic photographs of the 1954 ship wrecked Solace
Taken from Commander Victor Clark's book, On The Wind Of A Dream

Solace Statistics
Built : 1929 by David Hillyard at Littlehampton, England
LOA : 33' 8"
LWL : 27' 0"
Beam : 9' 0"
Draught : 5' 3"
Displacement : 9 tons TM
Lloyd's Register : N° 160286
Signal Letters : ---

Solace Custodians & Home Ports
Tom (?-2016...)
Cdr VCF Clarke, Dr ACM Greenshields & DCJ Abra ( ?-1980-?) Emsworth
Cdr VCF Clarke (?-1955-1970-?) Salcombe
H Briginshaw (?-1950-?) Littlehampton
AR White (?-1934-?) Littlehampton

Solace Links
• Telegraph Obituary to Victor Clarke
• With Solace to Trinidad in 1953
• Cook Island News : Shipwrecked Teen Returns After 60 Years
• On The Wind Of A Dream : Abebooks copy for £50

Page last updated : August 2016

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