STERN RESPONSE

Viking’s origins date back to the 1930s, when she was built by the Horning boatyard of Chumley & Hawke for its hire fleet as a 26ft (7.9m) gunter-rigged daysailer. At the time, many of the Broadland hire fleets operated half-deckers. They primarily appealed to people who wanted an exciting yet comfortable sailing boat for days out on the Broads. At 26ft, Viking boasted more space than the average half-decker, while her cuddy would have offered hirers a degree of protection from the elements and somewhere to stow their picnic. The dates of Viking’s construction are currently unclear. Tim Whelpton, who managed Chumley & Hawke’s hire fleet from 1948 to 1958, told former Viking owner Bill Clark that she had been built in 1933. However, she did not appear within the annual Blakes brochure until 1937, suggesting she may have been built for a private owner, or completed only in time for the 1937 season.

Looking at ’s subsequent entries in the brochure, she appears to have been converted into a cruising yacht during the winter of 1946/47. The 1947 edition describes as follows: “A sports cabin yacht comparing favourably in performance with a fast half-decker. Now