Silhouettes

These bilge keel pocket cruisers, boasting serpentine sheer, good build quality and robust looks, can be real bargains

- CLIVE MARSH

Attractive and seaworthy little ships. But as with most boats of that era - no significant built in buoyancy

Robert Tucker designed many pocket cruisers that were built mainly in the 1950s to 1970s. I have owned three of his designs and my absolute favourites are the little Silhouette Marks 2 and 3 with bilge keels.

I first saw one of these charming craft on the hard at Bosham. The owners had gone to the Anchor Bleu for dinner to return for the night on their little ship before departing with the tide at dawn. Their boat sat comfortably upright, unlike my own boat and others lying at varying angles. I got chatting to them and they were so pleased with their craft's performance that they were happy to put up with its limited headroom, 3ft Zin for sitting only. Taken by the Silhouette's serpentine sheer, build quality and robust looks I decided to buy one. They can be real bargains.

My opportunity came when I saw one advertised at Littlehampton. She was in good order and lying in a mud and sand berth by the yacht club and the owner wanted her moved quickly to avoid further berthing and harbour dues, which were imminent.

We agreed on a price and it was down to me to move her as soon as possible. I decided to take her by road to Rye. I had a Jeep and a good new road trailer but needed to lay a flatbed to take the bilge keels and constructed this with several layers of very thick ply.

Clive sailing his MK3 Silhouette Arabella off the South Coast

Challenging collection

The collection day came and riding shotgun with me was my most useful chum, amateur engineer, enthusiastic sailor, multiple boat builder and retired headteacher Maurice. He is by far the most useful person I know to have around when things go wrong which, as you will soon read, were about to.