Boleh Admin

We are very proud to be involved again in the recovery programme for wounded, injured and sick members of the Armed Services.  Last year Boleh sailed members of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines and this year we have been privileged to include serving members of the Army and the Royal Air Force.  We are also delighted to report that we have received a further generous grant from the Nuffield Trust for the Forces of the Crown, part of which will be used to fund this tri-Service recovery programme..

So far this year Boleh has run 2 x 5 day recovery sailing courses – often in brisk weather; a third course is programmed for the autumn.  Brilliantly organised by RN Recovery Manager, Angie Cheal and delivered by our Volunteer Skippers and Mates led by Ops Director, Craig Coupe (pictured instructing), these have been judged a resounding success.  Without exception, Course feedback has described the positive impact of their Boleh time and praised the ‘amazing’ care, patience and understanding of the Boleh team.  We are very grateful to our Volunteers and to the Nuffield Trust for achieving this outcome.

The Nuffield Trust grant will also enable Boleh to continue delivering adventurous and exciting sailing for the Armed Forces and their families.  This will include sailing Service children from Portsmouth and Gosport schools, supporting the Portsmouth Veterans Outreach programme, delivering a fortnight’s cruise for Devon Army Cadets, and introducing young people in the Military Mentors programme to life at sea.  Our heartfelt thanks to the Nuffield Trust for the generosity they have shown.

Last month Boleh was in Lymington for the weekend at the invitation of the Royal Engineer Yacht Club, joining their annual meet and competition with the Royal Lymington Yacht Club for a third time.  Skippered by former Sapper and volunteer, Bruce Snelling, Boleh acted as host ship for the returning Race crews (see picture).

Commenting on the Rally, Boleh Trustee and former Commando Chaplain, Rev Simon Springett described the weekend as ‘a very happy event’.  Boleh’s connection with the ‘Sappers’ goes back to the 1960s when she was sail training vessel for their Junior Leaders Regiment in Dover.  We continue to value this connection and are very grateful to the REYC for their invitation and hospitality.

Once again Boleh was a star attraction at this year’s busy Gosport Marine Festival, held in stunning weather at Haslar Marina.  Hosted by our Chairman and Trustees, we welcomed onboard a steady flow of visitors.  Notable guests included Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, President of the RN and RM Charity which generously supports so much of Boleh’s work, and Councillor Martin Pepper, Mayor of Gosport.  Now Boleh is looking forward to next month’s Portland deployment with 4 weeks sailing local schoolchildren under the Chesil Sailing Trust’s ‘Sail-for-a-Fiver’ scheme.

Boleh’s links with the Royal Naval Sailing Association continue to strengthen.  Their HQ is next to Haslar Marina and we were honoured recently to have RNSA’s CEO, Phil Warwick at sea with us for a blustery day in the Solent.  Boleh’s historic connection with the RNSA goes back to 1950 when she and her Naval crew were awarded the Association’s Cruise Challenge Cup for the epic voyage from Singapore to Salcombe.  Phil, pictured with patients from the RN Recovery Programme, described his Boleh experience as ‘a great day afloat …..  very inspiring’.

We’re delighted to report a welcome grant from National Historic Ships (NHS) towards the repair of Boleh’s unique quadruped mast.  Designer Robin Kilroy had the original masts built of solid timber in Singapore before sailing Boleh to Salcombe in 1950.  When, 60 years later, Boleh was restored in Portsmouth as a Historic Ship, the distinctive quadruped mast clearly had to be retained. Modern operating conditions, however, rely on electronic equipment at the mast head – a feature not required before.

During Boleh’s restoration the solid spars were declared not fit for purpose and new spars, constructed with hollow channels, replaced the old. These reduced topweight and also provided a conduit for electric cables. Tim Gilmore and his team constructed the new mast (pictured) at Birdham Pool and have since unstepped and refurbished these spars.  Now a problem has arisen – water penetration into the mast channels – and we are very grateful to NHS for the funds which will allow Tim to tackle this during Winter Maintenance.

In the early 1980’s Boleh was restored in Rye Harbour by her new owner, Roger Angel, after arson destroyed much of her upper works. As part of the restoration a new nameboard was made for the vessel as shown in the picture.  We are now trying to identify the carver responsible for this work of art, created from a slab of Iroko timber provided by Roger.  We know he lived in River village near Dover and was reputed to have carved figures for Winston Churchill at nearby Chartwell.

The nameboard was exhibited alongside the Boleh model at HRH The Princess Royal’s visit to Boleh last year.  Dave Sully, who worked with Roger on the restoration and is now the proud custodian of this piece of Boleh’s history, has some information which may help our search.  His son Alan, then a tree surgeon, supplied the carver with various hardwoods; this led to Roger obtaining the nameboard for a nominal sum.

Now, given that history, can anybody help us solve the mystery of who carved this splendid nameboard?? Answers please to projectboleh@gmail.com .

Boleh has a habit of bringing people together, across Continents and across the years.  This time the connection is very close: our Operations Director, Craig  Coupe and Boleh Trustees, George and Henry Middleton have a family link, forged in 1945.  That link is the Aircraft Carrier, HMS INDEFATIGABLE, where Craig’s grandfather, Douglas Craig and Robin Kilroy, Boleh’s designer and George and Henry’s uncle, were shipmates during the allied invasion of Japan.

We’re proud to post this story on the 78th anniversary of the Kamikaze (suicidal) attack on HMS INDEFATIGABLE by a Japanese fighter aircraft.  This set fire to the ship killing 14 and wounding many others but, thanks to the bravery of the crew and the armoured flight deck, flying operations were restored within an hour.  Later, in 1949, Robin Kilroy designed Boleh with 2 captured Japanese fighter windscreens as deck lights for the for’d cabin!

Marine Coupe is pictured above, shortly after joining the Navy, and we’re delighted to report that his grandson, Craig, has very recently qualified as a Yachtmaster Instructor.  This very demanding test of seamanship, leadership, experience and instructional ability leads to the highest RYA award achievable.  Congratulations Craig, we now look forward to you using Boleh to prepare aspiring sailors, young and old, for their RYA qualifications!

Not long till the start of Boleh’s sailing programme and final preparations are under way.  This week saw Boleh briefly taken out of the water for a final buff-up in the Sealift3 facility at Haslar Marina.  With hull jet washed, antifouling touched up and anti corrosion anodes renewed, the parts of Boleh you don’t see are now ready for the new Season!

Picture shows the stern aspect of Boleh on the lift displaying her propellers and stern arrangement from a different perspective not always seen!

When HRH The Princess Royal visited us last November to re-commission Boleh, Haslar Marina’s new Creek Restaurant was the venue for the first part of her visit.  This was dedicated to HRH meeting groups of adults and young people who had been involved with this unique vessel.  HRH also met Creek staff, providing an ‘unofficial opening’ for their impressive Restaurant, and thanked Ben Lippiett and the Marina team for facilitating her visit.

We are therefore delighted to report that the Boleh Trust has now given The Creek a framed picture of Boleh, both to mark the occasion and to thank Marina and Restaurant staff for their sterling support on that special day.  Picture shows Vice Chairman, Chris Austin and the Boleh team presenting Creek  Assistant Manager, David Hill with a copy of a watercolour by Robin Kilroy.  The painting depicts Boleh at rest in Salcombe, where she arrived on 1 September 1950 after her 15,000 mile voyage from Singapore, skippered by the artist!

We’re proud of Boleh’s unique design and inspirational story.  A catalogue of her history – from Boleh’s conception in 1947 to her 2013 restoration – was compiled and archived 10 years ago by Hampshire Museum Services with Heritage Lottery funding.  However, the digital platform for the website hosting this Archive has recently deteriorated, threatening the future of this wonderful record.

It is therefore a relief to report that, with the generous support of Blackburn Chemicals (who also funded last year’s repair of Boleh’s damaged battery chargers) and the skills of ‘Communitysites’, we have been able to revitalise and preserve the Archive.  A picture of Boleh racing off Majorca with Roger Angel at the helm, taken from the Archive, is shown here – more drawings and photos can be seen http://catalogue.bolehproject.com/