Mersey

Charles Livingston 1912-1913

Charles Livingston’s owned Mersey for two years 1912 and 1913 winning one race. Mersey featured in a Yachting Monthly article in 1912

Lt Hugh McNeille Dibb 1914

In 1914 he sold the boat to Lt Hugh McNeille Dibb, first officer of HMS Conway, a merchant navy training ship anchored in the Mersey off Rock Ferry. At the same time his commanding officer Captain Harvey Broadbent acquired Arnside Sailing Club’s Severn, then known as Ribble. At one stage Hugh worked for the White Star Line. Hugh McNeille Dibb was a better sailor than his commanding officer, owning a succession of larger yachts including Inknoo, which was later owned by Joe Wallace, who restored Severn after she was raised from the bed of the Mersey. One of Hugh’s yachts Caird had to be re-handicapped to stop him winning so many races.

W.E.Boston and W.S Williams 1918 – 1920

After the First World War, Mersey was owned by W.E.Boston and W.S.Williams in partnership. W.E.Boston went onto to own Emerald, a Blackpool and Fleetwood Jewel Class Yacht from 1923 to the Second World War. She did not part in the Rivers Class series in 1919, as she was sailed outside the club.

S. McLauchlan and partners 1920 – 1937

In 1920 Mersey was brought back into the club. She was owned by S. McLauchlan in partnership firstly with N.Cappel and Shepherd till 1925, then with just N.Cappel to 1930 and finally by himself alone uptill 1937.   Under S.McLauchlan’s ownership Mersey won the Rivers Class Series 11 times. 

In 1935 the Rivers Class were replaced by the Mylne Class.  S.McLauchlan was instrumental in the selection of the new class. The flagship of Mylne Class was also called “Mersey”. She was owned by the Earl of Derby, the club’s Commodore.

In 1939 Lloyds Register, Mersey is recorded as being owned by A.Manson of West Kirby in the Wirral He was a member of the Royal Mersey Yacht and the West Kirby Sailing Clubs.  There are entries for Mersey in 1947 and 48 Registers. The boat’s home port is recorded as being Birkenhead though the owner is not named and Mersey may have been elsewhere. The Royal Mersey Yacht Club is in Rock Ferry in Birkenhead. Mersey might briefly have been used as a fishing boat in the River Dee.

Either just before the Second World War or after it, Mersey was moved to Pwllheli and then to Aberystwyth. In 1987 she was owned by Gron Davies, who mentions that she was in need of restoration in a letter to the Gaffers Log.