Demeter at Auction.
“She sails beautifully, fast, responsive, with a delightfully light touch and fine manners,” says Beccs Polden, as she shares reminiscences of this sweet 21ft canoe-sterned sloop that she last sailed in the late 1990s. Another thing that’s instantly noticeable is Demeter’s very marked resemblance to the work of Albert Strange.
Although built in Southampton in 1954, previous owners believe she was constructed on much earlier plans by the fêted artist yacht designer who died in 1917. That’s a line of enquiry for a new owner, but one that Beccs has never felt any need to pursue. “I know what she is and how well she sails. That’s enough for me,” says the manager of Blackwater Marina. To give Demeter the best chance of further life she’s being offered in a “no reserve” auction on October 7. That means the highest bid, even if it’s just one pound, buys a little boat really worth saving. The buyer will get free yard storage for 
three months.
Constructed of larch on closely spaced oak frames Demeter was clearly built with more care and attention, and at greater expense than many other small yachts in the 1950s. Always Bermudan rigged, the plan had been to transform her back to gaff as it’s thought she was originally conceived.
A rummage below reveals bronze winches and a complement of deck gear. At one time she clearly had a fitted heads and off-set engine. Some work was done in the early 2000s including ply decks and part refurbished cabin top to original profile on original beams. On a beam there’s the carved legend: Certified Tons: 1 74/100; Official no 186416 (see photo right). Word is that she took class honours in the 1954 and 1955 Round The Island races. Beccs appraisal is: “She’s a lovely little kit that needs putting back together.”
Dave Selby