The London commuter town of Chertsey isn’t known for its maritime connections and yet, head north until you reach Penton Hook Island, hang a right, and wriggle your way down a leafy suburban lane and you’ll end up at Michael Dennett’s boatyard right on the River Thames. Here, punching a workmanlike hole through a solid line of posh riverside homes, you’ll find not just the expected slipper launches, rowing skiffs and other riparian craft, but also large sea-going motoryachts too, including a small fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships.
When I visited the yard last autumn, a 30ft (9.1m) had just had some hull repairs and paint job, and the 58ft (17.7m) once owned by Captain Lightoller (the most senior surviving officer on the ) was awaiting a major restoration. And that’s just a selection of the boats in various states of repair parked in the yard. Michael reckons about 70 boats a year pass through this little oasis of wooden boatbuilding on the Thames.
