Name MASB (Motor Anti Submarine Boat) S32

Designed by the 'master craftsman of marine architects', George Selman, MASB 32 was ordered under contract CP51253/39 dated 8 Sep 39 under the war emergency programme as a 70ft MA/SB (MASB 7 - 39 = 33 boats). When MASB 6 (1938 programme) ran trials in Dec 39 her performance was "disappointing".

As a result of trials with the first 63ft for South Africa (Which was completed as a MASB and did trials for the RN at Portland before being completed as HSL 141) the Admiralty decided to stop production of the 70ft MASB. The British Powerboat Co stopped the 70ft boats after MASB 21 and built MASB 22 - 39 as 63ft. Theese boats (like '32) have the bridge and a shorter superstructure further aft than the 63ft HSLs' 32 was laid down in 1939 by The British Power Boat Company at their Hythe yard. However she was not completed and launched until 24th September 1941. She was originally configured as a Motor Anti Submarine Boat, hence MASB and was given the Service Number 32. Her original Yard Number was, 1571.

She was subsequently configured for air sea rescue work. On page 139 of the June 1942 edition of The Motor Boat and Yachting 32 is shown with S32 painted on her foredeck. The accompanying article relates to a trip undertaken by journalists on several boats including S32. The text in part reads: “These motor boats are now primarily employed by the Navy for rescuing airmen from the sea. They are of the by now familiar 63-ft Scott-Paine type, manned by two sub-lieutenants R.N.V.R. and eight naval ratings. Nearly half the hull is occupied by three Napier engines; the crew sleep aboard and the officers ashore. Working in conjunction with these craft are R.A.F. boats of the 60-ft type, their turns of sea duty alternating” The article probably had to have been written in April or May to have made it into the June edition. So … it would appear that 32 had the prefix “S” very early on in her service life and whilst used for Air Sea Rescue work.

She went from the UK to The Med under her own "steam" was employed as as first of all a shark fishing boat then a day boat for excursions and finally a floating chip-shop in Gibraltar and Spain before returning to the UK in 2008 by Ship During the lift onto the Ship damage was done to the Hull which was put right when she got to the UK By now she had had the 3 x 500hp Napier Engines replaced by 2 smaller Diesels