Name Carlotta

CARLOTTA was designed and built by W.H. Halford at Gloucester in 1899 for the Cumberland Sea Fishery Committee, who ordered a ‘Police Boat’ or ‘Protection Cutter’ to patrol fisheries in the Cumberland area. She was originally named THE SOLWAY. Halford built at least two other pilot cutters, but CARLOTTA is the sole survivor from this yard. Their boats differed from other pilot boats; the bowsprits were not always offset, instead being placed on the centre-line of the vessel; they featured ‘Valkyrie’ bows – straight stems with substantial rake; and in addition to internal ballast, an external iron keel was fitted. When completed, CARLOTTA worked in the River Solway and off the coast of Cumberland around Maryport and Whitehaven with a crew of four to seven men and a Master. In 1907 she was replaced by a steam driven vessel and sold off as a yacht.

In 1907 she was sold into private ownership, renamed CARLOTTA, and moved to the Isle of Man, where she was converted to a yacht. Shortly afterwards she was sold again to the next of many owners, David A. Croall of St James’, London, and registered in Ramsey. In 1913 she won the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club Regatta under the ownership of A.R. Hoette. By 1915 her owner was W.G. Luke of Hamble, Southampton, and by 1920 she was owned by a property developer, John Rene Payne, who sailed CARLOTTA out of the Royal Burnham and Royal Corinthian Yacht Clubs. She was beautifully kept and took part in cruiser races. By 1925 she was owned by Lord Gort of East Cowes, a soldier who later rose to the rank of Field Marshal. He fitted her with every comfort and convenience. By 1929 she was owned by a retired Lieutenant Colonel, but in 1933 she was sold again, to George Henry Jordan of Monmouth, who sold her on to Sir Thomas Hewitt Skinner before the end of the year. In 1937 she was bought by Bessie and Aleck Bourne of London, who in 1939 sailed her from France to Guernsey thinking she would be safe there. In 1940 ownership was transferred to three Guernsey men.

In 1942 CARLOTTA was found laid up in a canal basin dock near Fleetwood by Richard Twist, who became her next owner. He sailed her out of Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland for about four years, and later chartered her out of St. Mawes, Cornwall, making frequent voyages to France. The Twists kept CARLOTTA for twenty-seven years, until 1969, but in 1970 they sold her to two men from Golant, Cornwall. She subsequently fell into a state of decay, with many frames smashed. But in 1973 a Canadian, Peter Heiberg, found her in the Fowey estuary, bought her, and had her restored at Falmouth. After several failed attempts he eventually reached Vancouver in 1981. CARLOTTA was a regular winner of Old Gaffers’ races in Vancouver. Heiberg owned her for over 30 years, but in 2004 he sold her to the Mohan family, who began the process of restoring her to how she was in 1899. She was back sailing in 2009, although her interior refit was only completed in 2011. 

In 2015 she was purchased by Michael Wright in London, and she underwent further repair and restoration work. In 2017, she was transported by road and sea to the UK after more than 43 years abroad, and was based on the River Hamble, near Southampton. Since 2019 she has been under new ownership.

Update, June 2024: Vessel for sale in Falmouth.