Amazon (yacht)
Encyclopedia
Amazon is a 102 feet (31.1 m) long screw schooner ex-steam yacht
built in 1885 at the private Arrow Yard of Tankerville Chamberlayne
in Southampton
.
Designer Dixon Kemp intended her to be 'fast and a good seaboat' and her successful sea trials were recorded in the several editions of his definitive Yacht Architecture (First Edition
published in 1885).
planked in teak
and pitch pine
on oak frames, with alternate wrought iron
strap floor reinforcement, bronze fastenings, lead keel
and copper sheathing, the Amazons hull is still largely original.
, an English gentleman, personally supervised her construction by his own Arrow Yard at Northam on the River Itchen
. This small non-commercial facility was established by the Chamberlayne family for the maintenance of the famous cutter Arrow, which was adapted continuously and thereby kept racing competitively into the 1890s. Amazons engine and boiler were supplied by the adjacent works works of Day, Summers and Company.
Amazon was used for summer cruising, to attend sailing regattas along the south coast of England, and to visit France. Having been prepared appropriately for the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
Royal Fleet Review in 1897 (at which Turbinia
made her debut), she was shortly after sold to a prominent French yachtsman and was based at St. Malo as Armoricain until 1900, when she returned to British ownership.
Already too old (and with a coal-fired compound engine thought to be rather too old-fashioned) for the First World War, she remained in south coast ports as a private yacht. A new owner took her to London
and after 52 years of service her original engine and boiler were removed on her conversion to diesel in 1937. The Second World War put paid to pleasure cruising and she subsequently became a houseboat for some years in a west London Yacht Basin.
The actor Arthur Lowe
bought her as a houseboat in 1968 and, encouraged by his surveyor's positive report, made her ready for sea again in 1971; at first a private yacht she then pursued a successful charter business in the 1980s, before migrating to northern Scotland
in 1990.
In 1997 she made passage from Scotland to Malta
, where her owners used her for cruising in the Mediterranean. In 2009 Amazon crossed the Atlantic Ocean and traveled in the Caribbean
and to Bermuda
.
She arrived at Newport, Rhode Island
from Bermuda on Labor Day
2009. Amazon was hosted by the Herreshoff
Marine Museum at Bristol
, Rhode Island in October 2009. The yacht subsequently traveled to Mystic Seaport
in late 2009 and was based there in early 2011. Amazon remained at Mystic Seaport until mid-2011
Amazon acted as Flagship for the Commodore of the Mystic River Yacht Club for a charity regatta in Long Island Sound in June 2011 and visited Canada
in July 2011
In August 2011 the yacht made a trans-Atlantic passage from Newfoundland to Ireland
, and arrived at Waterford
on September 2, 2011. where she was described by a local boat owner as the "Classiest motor boat I have ever seen!".
Steam yacht
A steam yacht is a class of luxury or commercial yacht with primary or secondary steam propulsion in addition to the sails usually carried by yachts.-Origin of the name:...
built in 1885 at the private Arrow Yard of Tankerville Chamberlayne
Tankerville Chamberlayne
Tankerville Chamberlayne was a landowner in Hampshire and a Member of Parliament, serving the Southampton constituency three times, as an Independent and Conservative. Following the 1895 General Election false allegations were made concerning his conduct and this resulted in his being unseated on...
in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
.
Designer Dixon Kemp intended her to be 'fast and a good seaboat' and her successful sea trials were recorded in the several editions of his definitive Yacht Architecture (First Edition
First edition
The bibliographical definition of an edition includes all copies of a book printed “from substantially the same setting of type,” including all minor typographical variants.- First edition :...
published in 1885).
Construction
CarvelCarvel
Carvel is an ice cream franchise owned by Focus Brands. Carvel is best known for their soft serve ice cream and ice cream cakes, which feature a layer of distinctive 'crunchies'. It also sells a variety of novelty ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches....
planked in teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
and pitch pine
Pitch Pine
The Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida, is a small-to-medium sized pine, native to eastern North America. This species occasionally hybridizes with other pine species such as Loblolly Pine , Shortleaf Pine , and Pond Pine The Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida, is a small-to-medium sized (6-30 meters or 20-100 feet)...
on oak frames, with alternate wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
strap floor reinforcement, bronze fastenings, lead keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
and copper sheathing, the Amazons hull is still largely original.
History
Her builder and first owner, Tankerville ChamberlayneTankerville Chamberlayne
Tankerville Chamberlayne was a landowner in Hampshire and a Member of Parliament, serving the Southampton constituency three times, as an Independent and Conservative. Following the 1895 General Election false allegations were made concerning his conduct and this resulted in his being unseated on...
, an English gentleman, personally supervised her construction by his own Arrow Yard at Northam on the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
. This small non-commercial facility was established by the Chamberlayne family for the maintenance of the famous cutter Arrow, which was adapted continuously and thereby kept racing competitively into the 1890s. Amazons engine and boiler were supplied by the adjacent works works of Day, Summers and Company.
Amazon was used for summer cruising, to attend sailing regattas along the south coast of England, and to visit France. Having been prepared appropriately for the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
Royal Fleet Review in 1897 (at which Turbinia
Turbinia
Turbinia was the first steam turbine-powered steamship. Built as an experimental vessel in 1894, and easily the fastest ship in the world at that time, Turbinia was demonstrated dramatically at the Spithead Navy Review in 1897 and set the standard for the next generation of steamships, the...
made her debut), she was shortly after sold to a prominent French yachtsman and was based at St. Malo as Armoricain until 1900, when she returned to British ownership.
Already too old (and with a coal-fired compound engine thought to be rather too old-fashioned) for the First World War, she remained in south coast ports as a private yacht. A new owner took her to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and after 52 years of service her original engine and boiler were removed on her conversion to diesel in 1937. The Second World War put paid to pleasure cruising and she subsequently became a houseboat for some years in a west London Yacht Basin.
The actor Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe
Arthur Lowe was a BAFTA Award winning English actor. He was best known for playing Captain George Mainwaring in the popular British sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 until 1977.-Early life:...
bought her as a houseboat in 1968 and, encouraged by his surveyor's positive report, made her ready for sea again in 1971; at first a private yacht she then pursued a successful charter business in the 1980s, before migrating to northern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1990.
In 1997 she made passage from Scotland to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, where her owners used her for cruising in the Mediterranean. In 2009 Amazon crossed the Atlantic Ocean and traveled in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
She arrived at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
from Bermuda on Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
2009. Amazon was hosted by the Herreshoff
Herreshoff
-People:* Lewis Francis Herreshoff , American boat designer* Nathanael Greene Herreshoff , American boat designer* Frederick Herreshoff , American golfer...
Marine Museum at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, Rhode Island in October 2009. The yacht subsequently traveled to Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Connecticut, is notable both for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the re-creation of crafts and fabric of an entire 19th century seafaring village...
in late 2009 and was based there in early 2011. Amazon remained at Mystic Seaport until mid-2011
Amazon acted as Flagship for the Commodore of the Mystic River Yacht Club for a charity regatta in Long Island Sound in June 2011 and visited Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in July 2011
In August 2011 the yacht made a trans-Atlantic passage from Newfoundland to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and arrived at Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
on September 2, 2011. where she was described by a local boat owner as the "Classiest motor boat I have ever seen!".