Name Rona

RONA, now a bermudan ketch but originally built as the 72ft (22m) gaff yawl, AURA, by Stow and Sons of Shoreham in 1895. Her old clipper bow was modified to the current spoon shape by Morgan Giles some time before 1950. First registered at Shoreham in 1895 she was re-registered when she first had an engine installed - 27 in 1903 at Liverpool. A Perkins engine was fitted around 1945.

She has had various owners and in the1960's she was bought by the Right Honourable Dereck Viscount Amory, who had been instrumental in forming the London Sailing Project, (now Rona Sailing Project) a charity based Sail Training organisation, which took Rona and established her reputationas a much loved but very demanding Sail Training Vessel. Rona took part in the royal fleet review in the 70s and sailed with such vessels as tall ships Winston Churchill and Malcom Miller.

In 1996, largely forced by questionable new safety legislation which would have required major and expensive re-design and quite destructive modification (Rona was a “block and tackle” craft with just one winch – for the anchor) she was sold to Graham Blair, and in1997 sold again to Mr M G Gowerby in sale organised by Berthon International, after much character-changing refurbishment.

Although this vessel is on the Overseas Watch List we are lacking information.  If you have any information passed or present please contact us.