Classic Boat Magazine, July 2025 has selected ‘Cachalot’ as the cover story! The new Editor, Carl Richardson met up with us in Ramsgate as we prepared to leave with the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships on the Return to Dunkirk. We’re honoured to be selected as the cover story, with a great article penned by Carl and photos by Sandy Miller!
Read more “Cover story: Classic Boat Magazine!”
It became clear during Thursday that the fleet may be delayed on their return to Ramsgate. Perusing all the forecasts and taking advice from the Royal Navy it seemed possible there was a brief weather window on Friday, 23 May. 21 boats including ‘Cachalot’, decided to go.
Read more “Stormbound & departure for Ramsgate, May 2025”
“Good morning everyone and I hope you slept well. Dunkirk Little Ships we are a green for go this morning.” The fleet had been preparing yesterday evening and since dawn on Wednesday 21 May, 2025, waiting for the official ‘go, no go’ order which arrived at 0600.
Read more “85th Anniversary Return to Dunkirk, 2025”
On Sunday 18 May, ‘Cachalot’ arrived in Ramsgate to join the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships as they gather for the 85th Anniversary Return to Dunkirk this week.
Read more “ADLS fleet gathers in Ramsgate”
We visited les Sables d’Olonne in January 2025, watched two participants in the Vendee Globe finish and then crossed the Gironde Estuary from Royan to le Verdon-sur-Mer by ferry, retracing part of the passage of ‘Cachalot’ in 1955.
Read more “Sables d’Olonne & Gironde Estuary: 70 years on”
During our European road trip in early 2023, we spent a couple of hours wandering the quaysides of Sète in the Mediterranean sunshine, trying to find where ‘Cachalot’ may have moored in 1955.
Read more “Where was ‘Cachalot’ in 1955?”
Early in 2021 we received an email via the ‘Cachalot’ website from Tom Corbett, owner of ‘Cachalot’ between 1970 – 1975.
Read more “A special visitor”
Gone are the handwritten entries with signature and official stamp on broadsheet-sized manilla folded into the cloth-bound ‘blue book’. Since the 1990s the Certificate of British Registry is simply a laminated piece of A4 card, printed in plain type and renewable every five years.
Read more “Recent owners”
In 2015 a set of stamps commemorating the Dunkirk Little Ships evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 was released by the Republic of Palau, comprising about 100 islands and islets at the western end of the Caroline Islands chain in the western Pacific Ocean.
Read more “Commemorated on stamps: 2015”
‘Cachalot’ has taken part in events run by the ADLS, including the 1990 ‘Return to Dunkirk’.
Read more “ADLS Rally: Ipswich”
After purchasing ‘Cachalot’, it’s time to decide where to keep her . . .
Read more “‘Cachalot’ sails to the Deben, 2005”
‘Cachalot’ is a member of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS) and listed amongst the vessels requisitioned to assist in the evacuation of Dunkirk, 1940, known as ‘Operation Dynamo’.
Read more “Return to Dunkirk, 1990”
A new owner sought information about ‘Cachalot’ from OGA members via the quarterly newsletter in 1977.
Read more “Restoration and research, 1977”
Apart from entries in the Certificate of British Registry and Lloyds Register of Yachts, we know virtually nothing about ‘Cachalot’ from when she was left in the Mediterranean by the Brigadier in 1956 and 1976 when she came into the hands of Ian and Jenny Kiloh.
Read more “Spotted by the OGA: 1977”
Kenneth Albert Harwood, Opthalmic Optician and Neauer Messinger, Shopkeeper, both of Guildford, Surrey are listed as joint owners from November 1948 until Brigadier Edward Elwyn Nott-Bower purchased her in 1951. These two owners are also listed in the Lloyds Register of Yachts (1949-51).
Read more “Cruising with the Brigadier: 1951 – 1955”
In 1940, ‘Cachalot’ took part in Operation Dynamo when she was part-owned by Herbert Charles Norton. By 1951 she had changed hands several more times.
Read more “1940 – 1951: owners & ADLS”
The first entry in the Certificate of British Registry lists Jesse Frank Collier, Master Builder from Worthing, Sussex as the owner in March, 1936. The Certificate also refers to an auxiliary petrol internal combustion engine, 1934, Stuart Turner, 2 cylinder, 6hp. We assume this to be her first auxiliary engine.
Read more “An auxiliary engine & more owners: 1934 – 1939”
From 1900 until 1905, Lloyds Register of Yachts lists two owners for ‘Cachalot’: RC Boothby of Sydenham, London and WA Fraser, also of London. ‘Cachalot’ did not have an engine at this time and was registered at Shoreham, London. From 1934 she was registered in Ipswich.
Read more “First owners: 1900 – 1934”