The Story of the Yacht Elver 1930 - Part Five

Travels of the Yacht 'Elver' on the Essex and Suffolk coast including a trip to the Netherlands

One of a series of films recording the travels of the schooner Elver, her owner V.B. Harrison, crew and guests. Scenes are shot from the Elver including adjustment of sails, sea, waves, buoys, coastline and passing boats, sometimes close enough to see crew in detail. Scenes include: A steam yacht and Shipwash lightship off Harwich; sailing from the Hook of Holland to Rotterdam on the Nieuwe Waterweg; ocean liners at Rotterdam; the Middleburg Canal; moorings at Flushing; the Wandelaar, Galloper and Sunk lightships (titles out of order in this sequence); the cross channel ferries between Harwich and the continent; the two boys on board for the trip. Uncle Doc-Doc dives in and swims around the yacht; suitcases are packed on deck and bottles transferred to the dinghy after poor weather prevents a trip; a windy trip to Lowestoft with views of Clacton-on-Sea, The Naze, The Cork lightship, Orfordness and Lowestoft; preparing the boat for winter at Robinson’s yachting station at Oulton Broad.

Keywords

Boats; Sailing; Sea; English Channel; Ferries; Travel abroad

Intertitles

Spelling as it appears on the intertitles Yacht “Elver” 1930. Part Five September 6th 1930 second Dutch trip with the Eastons and Stanley The Eastons coming aboard in the dinghy On the way to Harwich The point of departure Shipwash lightship The “Elver” at the Hook of Holland On the way to Rotterdam on the new waterway Leaving Rotterdam for the Oude Maas A Woermann liner Rotterdam Lloyd liner Notice the men painting the funnel Tug meeting an incoming steamer The Middleburg Canal Middleburg [Middelburg] Passing the last bridge at Flushing Looking for a berth at Flushing The Galloper The Sunk The Flushing – Harwich boat The Train Ferry Uncle Doc-Doc’s first visit to the “Elver” Weather so rotten returned home after one morning’s sail September 27th 1930 all ready for the run to Lowestoft for laying up The owner gets annoyed trying to light a cigarette Had to give up after three hours beat against a stiff north-easter October 4th 1930 wind and tide favourable getting the dinghy aboard Leaving West Mersea Clacton-on-Sea The Naze Doing 10 and a half knots Enjoying the last reach The Cork Orfordness Lowestoft The Railway Bridge Oulton Alongside at Robinson’s Yard Ready to go bye-bye’s in the shed The End

Other Places

Hook of Holland, Netherlands Rotterdam, Netherlands Middelburg, Netherlands Flushing [Vlissingen], Netherlands Lowestoft, Suffolk Clacton on Sea, Essex The Naze, Essex Orfordness, Suffolk Lowestoft, Suffolk Oulton Broad, Suffolk

Background Information

Elver - “V.B. Harrison’s wishbone-rigged schooner Elver was built at Lymington in 1923 and was a familiar sight in the Blackwater, with moorings at West Mersea until the 1940s.” John Leather, The Salty Shore, Seafarer Books 2003. A published photograph of the yacht refers to Skipper Ron Pullen. Shipwash lightship - lightvessel off Harwich Wandelaar lightship - lightvessel off Belgium The Galloper lightship - lightvessel North Sea The Sunk lightship - lightvessel Thames Estuary Cork lightship - lightvessel on Cork Bank off Harwich The Oude Maas is a tributary of the River Rhine in South Holland