Cassis, built in 1967, is an Alan Buchanan designed Bonito class sloop, based on a GRP hull from Seamaster of Dunmow, Essex. She was originally named Silwen, and was built for Mr D.T. Beer, of Porthmadog, Wales, where Silwen was originally based.
The boat had a Lloyd’s 100A1 certificate and an RORC rating. She was originally equipped with a 4-cylinder, 29 bhp Watermota petrol engine, but this has been replaced with a Yamaha 3-cylinder diesel.
At some point in time Silwen was renamed Cassis of Kent and spent a number of years mainly cruising England’s East coast. Since her last change of ownership she has moved to Cornwall, and the ‘of Kent‘ has been dropped from her name.
Cassis has special significance because she was the last boat to be built by Stebbings, or at least part-built. The registry documents and the Lloyd’s entry show her having two builders, Stebbings, and R.J. Prior & Son (also of Burnham-on-Crouch), so it seems likely that Stebbings started the build and that it was finished by Prior’s after Stebbings closed down.
Thanks to Jeremy Burnett for his help with this post. The photographs are copyright of Eastern Yachts and have been reproduced with the kind permission of Adrian Espin. Further photos can be found on the Eastern Yachts web site.
There are photos of me on the deck of this yacht as a very small person circa 1995!