Klang II (1924 Yacht)
Location: Rhode Island, USA
Price: FREE
www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/3519/klang-ii
History:
Built in Falmouth, Cornwall, by W.E. Thomas, of a design commonly known as ‘Quay boats’. These were used by agents and pilots to go out into the English Channel in all weathers to meet homecoming merchant ships to take their cargo manifests to port. Quay boats were quite heavily built and conservatively rigged making them very seaworthy vessels.
KLANG II moved to Jersey, Channel Islands, under new ownership in the 1930s, and in June 1940 was one of 20 ‘Little Ships’ that went to St Malo from Jersey in response to a request from the Royal Navy to assist in the evacuation of allied troops from the French ports of Cherbourg, St Malo, Brest, St Nazaire, La Rochelle and Bordeaux. This was Operation Ariel, less well known than Operation Dynamo, but which successfully evacuated 190,000 troops from France.
KLANG II spent the rest of the war as an auxiliary patrol vessel before being released back into civilian life. From the 1960s she was owned by two famous sailing writers: Murray Davis and Keith Taylor. The former was the first editor of Sail magazine and co-founder with his wife of Cruising World magazine. The second owner was the former editor of Soundings.
Davis bought KLANG II in the mid-1960s and added the doghouse to give some protection in the cockpit. He sailed her to Bermuda and then on to America where he was to cover the America’s Cup races off Newport. He subsequently sold her to Keith Taylor who owned her for many years and sailed her widely on the eastern seaboard of the USA. After this she was again sold and became a liveaboard.
In the late 1990s she suffered a hull fitting failure and sank at her mooring, however she was rescued by Captain Richard 'Rip' Hayman who got together with a group of fellow enthusiasts to form the Klang Association. Based in New York, they have been the custodians of the vessel since May 2000. She was operated and maintained as a community recreation boat until post 9/11 when the New York Port Authority closed her dock to small boats. After this she became a bit of a nomad and spent most of her time in and around New England, based at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut. However, as she could no longer fulfil her community role, the Association looked to find her a new home.
In 2017, KLANG II was due to return to Jersey, Channel Islands, where she spent her early years and had her ‘finest hour’. Plans were in place for her to come under the care of Jersey Heritage and return to operational use as a passenger vessel, however due to the pandemic, Brexit, and other complications, this plan fell through.
Last refit 2008 with some modest repairs in 2012. A 2017 Survey is available together with 164 photos from the survey.
KLANG II is currently on hard standing at a Rhode Island boatyard and is offered free to anyone who can help save this historic vessel and give her a future back on the water where she belongs.
Please email info@nationalhistoricships.org.uk to be put in touch with the owner, or to arrange a viewing.
For further details and spec, please see the vessel record link at the top of the page.
