NAEMA

On 29 June 1938, a new yacht was launched at Camper & Nicholsons’ Southampton yard. Panda was the ninth schooner built by the company since World War One but, whereas most of the others were designed in-house by Charles E Nicholson, this was the second to come from the board of Alfred Mylne, and for the same owner: Captain J Duckworth Hodgson. Her hull was constructed from Colvilles Ducol high-tensile steel “which, owing to its noncorrosive qualities is very suitable for yacht building,” reported The Yachtsman. She had two six-cylinder 100hp AEC diesel engines, one of which had a McAllister clutch to drive a 13KW dynamo which provided power to the windlass, refrigerators and various pumps. Although Mylne initially drew a sail plan with gaff rigs on both masts, before she was completed he modified this and gave her a bermudan mainsail while retaining the gaff fore-main. A large square sail was also set on the foremast.

In 1951, Captain Hodgson sold to the French government who gave her to Bao Dai, the emperor of South Vietnam. Later in the 1950s she was put into’s name was typed over the top.”