Blackpool and Fleetwood Jewel Class
Emerald
Emerald was a Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club Jewel Class boat. Built in 1911, she won the One Design Class series in 1911. She was sold out of the club in 1923. She sunk in 1968.
Boat statistics
- Built
- 1911
- Length Over All
- 23 ft (7.01 m)
- Waterline
- 19.5 ft (5.94 m)
- Beam
- 6.8 ft (2.07 m)
- Draft
- 4.8 ft (1.46 m)
- Weight
- 3
- Rig
- Built as Gaff Sloop with one foresail, By 1923 Gaff Cutter with two foresails.
Introduction
Emerald’s first owner was H.S.Rowton in partnership with a Mr Jones. After the First World War she left the club. In 1923 she was brought by a Royal Mersey member who kept her till World War 2. Her post war career took her to West Kirby, Lytham and Blundellsands. She is thought to have sank off Rhyl in 1968 in a gale.
History by Year
-
1911
Launched
Built by William Crossfields and Sons on the shore at Arnside
-
1911
Won race series
Prize was two smoking cabinets plus pipes
-
1923
Brought by W.E.Boston
W.E.Boston was a Royal Mersey member
-
1946
Brought by T.D.Nelson
Kept at West Kirby
-
1958
Brought by J.Wright
Kept at Ribble Cruising Club, Lytham
-
1962
Brought by H.A.Brown
Kept at Blundellsands Sailing Club
-
1968
Sunk
Full History
Racing at Fleetwood 1911 - 1914
Emerald was one of the first boats to be delivered. She won the first race beating Amethyst and went onto win the race series for 1911. In September 1911 she took part in the cruiser race from Fleetwood to Piel Island, coming eighth. Her time was 4 hours 42 minutes only 9 minutes behind Moya the winning boat also built in Arnside, Other Crossfield boats in the race were Laura (second) and Trilby.
In 1911 she is listed as being owned by Jones and Rowton. In 1912 she is recorded as being owned by H.S.Rowton only.
1920s and 1930s - Royal Mersey Yacht Club
In 1923 Emerald was brought by W.E.Boston who lived in Bebington, south of Birkenhead. He was a member of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club. He had previously owned River Mersey Rivers Class “Mersey” in partnership with W.S.Williams from 1919 to 1920. W.E.Boston was a Royal Mersey committee member from 1925 and the captain of the club in 1935.
It is likely that he brought Emerald from a member of the Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club and took her down to Mersey. Under his ownership Emerald is described as having a cutter rig with two foresails, whilst Jewel Class Boats were originally sloops with one foresail.
From 1924 Lloyds Register gives his address as “Rocklands”, 4 Bedford Road, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead almost next door to the Royal Mersey Yacht Club. 4 Bedford Road is now the address of the Tranmere Sailing Club, who moved there in the 1960s.
There is no record of Emerald being raced against Royal Mersey Rivers Class yachts despite the similar design.
W..E.Boston owned Emerald till the Second World War.
Post World War 2 : West Kirby, Lytham and Blundellsands
By 1947, Emerald was owned by T.D.Nelson, who lived in West Kirby on the Wirral and was a member of the West Kirby Sailing Club.
From 1955 to 1957 Emerald as listed in Lloyds Register as owned by Alexander Morris of Lytham Road, Blackpool. He also owned the much bigger Mimosa built by Crossfields in 1905.
In 1958 Emerald was brought by J.Wright of St Annes-on-Sea. He installed a 4 HP Stuart Turner engine. Up till this point Emerald did not have an engine. J.Wright was a member of the Ribble Cruising Club at Lytham. Stuart Turner Ltd of Henley-on-Thames were well known supplies of marine and steamboat engines.
By 1962 Emerald was owned by H.A.Brown who lived in Orrell Park in Liverpool. He was a member of Blundellsands Siling Club at the mouth of the River Alt between Liverpool and Southport. He still owned here in 1968, by which time she was 56 years old.
Emerald is recorded as sunk in the 1969 Lloyds Register. Martin Royle, who owned Diamond, recalls being told by the sailmaker at Y Felinheli that Emerald sank off Rhyl in a gale.