Sadly, following several months of trying, the Canal & River Trust has received NO expressions of interest in the 1926 Looe Lugger White Heather. The Trust now has no other option but to now seek the destruction of the historic vessel as they cannot continue to store it at its current location on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.
As a matter of last resort, the Trust is willing to pay for transportation costs of the vessel to a prospective new owner’s yard, provided that you have a reasonable plan for the vessel’s future. If no expressions of interest are received, sadly White Heather will be transported for destruction at the end of September.
HISTORY
Built c. 1926 by Richard Pearce at East Looe, White Heather is a 40ft wooden top and hull sailing fishing vessel. First owned by the Thomas brothers at Mevagissey, but later fished out of Falmouth before being laid up on moorings in the Fal. Converted back to sail in the 1980s and used to operate sailing trips from Fowey.
In 1992, she was bought and underwent an extensive restoration by the late Mike Mackay-Lewis, with the help of Paul Greenwood, author of “Once aboard a Cornish Lugger”, and current chairman of the Cornish Lugger Association. She was stripped down to her bare hull, many planks and the transom was renewed, using over 1,200 galvanised fastenings. As recently as 2003 she sailed from Cornwall to Morocco and Brazil, returning to the UK via Caribbean but sadly in recent years has been left in a sorry state of repair.
NEW OWNER SOUGHT
As a vessel of considerable heritage value, the Trust are very interested to hear from anybody who may have an interest and capacity to give White Heather a new home and to restore her. The Trust have been seeking a suitable new home for several months but with no expressions of interest, there is now a very real possibility that this historic vessel will have to be destroyed.
White Heather was inspected in July 2024 and is able to be transported by road if required.
See the online advert with many more images:
www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/boat/1926-sailboat-fishing-boat-'white-heather'-9284007/
Further history and spec:
www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/2128/white-heather
Please email Brian Clarke Brian@commercialboatservices.co.uk for more information or to arrange a viewing.
Zone
Heart of England