A 24.3-metre yacht named Conidaw is facing the possibility of being scrapped after several years of being stored at the Classic Works shipyard in La Ciotat, France. Steeped in history, the 84-year-old yacht is part of the Little Ships of Dunkirk; a fleet of around 850 privately-owned vessels that sailed from England to Dunkirk during the Second World War to assist in the evacuation of troops.
Conidaw is currently owned by Classic Works, with the yard purchasing her in 2020 to avoid her being scrapped. The mounting cost of storing her means she may fall to the scrap heap, but the shipyard is holding out hope that the right owner may be willing to purchase the vessel and undertake an extensive restoration project, which is estimated to cost north of €2,000,000.
The yacht, sailing under the name Thomasine, arrived at Classic Works for a refit in 2009 but her owner "never commissioned any real work", according to Erik Wirta, president of Classic Works. The yacht changed hands in 2015 and her new owner was interested in a small-scale repair and refit work with the aim of putting her on the charter market.
"He finally asked us to dispose of the vessel to put an end to his storage costs," said Wirta. "For us this was unthinkable, so we stepped in, absolved him of outstanding shipyard obligations and purchased her for preservation."
Now renamed Conidaw, the yacht has been described as a "historical monument" which, once restored, "could arguably never be upstaged even here in the Mediterranean golden triangle of classic yachting. Wirta added: "She needs extensive rebuilding but is still in her lines. She is in a spot uniquely capable of restoring her and we are prepared to do so on as reasonable a cost as possible for her to live on."
Yacht design and engineering firm Butchdesign has put together a detailed proposal for the restoration complete with recommendations and options for almost every single element of the vessel. "There are many ways of restoring Conidaw, and most choices depend on the intended use of the yacht and the importance of authenticity in the owner’s priorities," said Butch Dalrymple-Smith. "While we may have certain ideas about how the yacht should be restored, the owner’s preferences are always paramount."
According to Wirta, the yacht still has most of her hull planking and many of her original tech, including Gardner engines, a single fin Vosper stabilizer system most likely from the 1950s, and her engine-driven anchor windlass.
Conidaw is well-documented in various war efforts around Calais and Dunkirk, with her skipper during the evacuations, Reginald Snelgrove, winning a Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. In 2007, the medal sold for £780.
The 89GT yacht was built by Scottish shipyard James A. Silver Ltd (now Silver Marine) and delivered in 1939. She is POA.