Bluebird of Chelsea | National Historic Ships

Registration number 394

Status Registered

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Bluebird of Chelsea - at Southampton Maritime Festival

Bluebird of Chelsea - bow looking aft, port side.

Previous names

1931 - 1945 Blue Bird
1945 - 1985 Blue Finch

Details

Function Leisure Craft

Subfunction Yacht

Location Chelsea

Vessel type Yacht - Motor

Current use Private use

Available to hire No

Available for excursions No

Construction

Builder Thornycroft, J I & Co Ltd, Woolston, Southampton

Built in 1931

Hull material Wood

Rig None

Number of decks 1

Number of masts 1

Propulsion Motor

Number of engines 1

Primary engine type Diesel

Boiler type None

Boilermaker None

Dimensions

Breadth: Beam

11.38 feet (3.47m)

Depth

4.59 feet (1.40m)

Length: Overall

51.97 feet (15.85m)

History

Built in 1931 by Thornycrofts for Sir Malcolm Campbell, BLUEBIRD OF CHELSEA is a motor yacht of wood carvel construction. She has twin Perkins diesel engines. Her original name was BLUEBIRD which was changed to BLUE FINCH in 1945 and to her present name in 1985. She had three owners before being requisitioned by the Admiralty during World War II and is thought to have been present at the Dunkirk evacuation, later serving as a radar decoy ship. There is a gap in her history until 1984 when she was bought in the South of France and brought back to England where she was restored by H. & T. Marine of Poole, Dorset. Current ownership unknown.

We are lacking information on this particular vessel. If you have any information on this vessel past or present, please contact us.

Sources

Christian Brann, The Little Ships of Dunkirk: 1940-1990 (1989) pub: Collectors Books Ltd
Classic Boat (July Volume 145, 2000, pp80) Little Bluebird
Classic Boat (February Edition 273, 2011) Charter UK Destinations - Wish you were here?