Amokura Archives - Amokura: a classic boat archive

Captain Richard Carr MBE MC (c.1919 – 1977)

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George Millar DSO MC (1910-2005)

webmstr — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 15:36:45 +0000

George Millar owned Amokura from 1954-60. He was well-known as an author particularly for Maquis which chronicled his exploits in WW2 behind enemy lines – he escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp and on return to London promptly enlisted with the Special Operations Executive, deployed in occupied France. His other books included Horned Pigeon, A White Boat from England, and Oyster River, which described a summer cruising the French Gulf of Morhiban with his wife Isabel aboard Amokura. Millar’s cruises aboard Amokura are described in the RCC journals of 1954 and 1956 and his life is described in colourful detail in wikipedia and obituaries in the The Daily Telegraph and The Independent. It is also worth reading George Millar’s letter to David Japp in January 1996, which describes his purchase of Amokura and refers to his friendship with later owner Richard Carr.

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Fred Shepherd (1869-1969)

webmstr — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 10:59:38 +0000

Frederick (or more often, Fred) Shepherd was best known as a designer of cruising yachts. He worked for Arthur E Payne and later Lory and Cornwallis in their London offices before setting up his own practice in 1899 in Norfolk Street off London’s Strand. In 1921 he moved to Swanwick on the River Hamble in Hampshire and in 1926 became a partner in Frederick Shepherd and Morgan Ltd which opened the Swanwick Shipyard to build yachts. This was short-lived and he soon returned to London re-establishing himself at 199 Piccadilly as a designer, broker and surveyor. In 1934 Shepherd took on Fred Parker as a pupil. Parker, in his early twenties at that point, had just completed his apprenticeship as a shipwright with Berthon Boat Company in Lymington. The pair worked closely together during the remainder of the 1930s and they collaborated particularly closely on the design of Amokura and Maybird. Indeed Maybird’s design drawings include pencil-note conversations between the two. After Shepherd’s retirement Fred Parker went on to design around 30 more yachts many of which were built at Moody’s yard at Swanwick. Fred Shepherd continued to be based in Piccadilly until September 1939. When war broke out he shut the London office and effectively retired to Kings Somborne in Hampshire. Click here for details of other Shepherd-designed yachts.

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Yachts designed by Fred Shepherd

webmstr — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 16:44:06 +0000

Fred Shepherd was a prolific designer completing the designs of over 80 yachts during his career. So the listing of his designs below is far from complete. If you have more information about any of these boats, or indeed any Fred Shepherd designs which are not mentioned – please do get in touch via the contact page.

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Letter from Uffa Fox to Fred Shepherd, October 1946

webmstr — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 23:30:10 +0000

Uffa Fox is a legendary boating character best known as a boat designer and builder. Websites uffafox.com and wikipedia provide good summaries of his life and achievements. An image of this letter is already included on this site. Unfortunately it is not the clearest of copies – so here is an easily-read plain text version, for easier digestion! Uffa Fox Yacht Designers & builders Medina Yard Cowes England Telephone: Cowes 555 Telegrams: “Uffa Fox, Cowes” 12th October, 1946 Fred Shepherd, Esq., M.I.N.A., Carn Brear, King’s Somborne, Hants. My dear Sir It was indeed a great pleasure to meet you again after all these years, and to see you looking so fit and well. I am under way with another book, and wonder what designs you have that you would like me to put in it. Could you turn this over in your mind, and then send them on to me? Prints will do us well, for, as you know, we trace all our plans up, to get a uniform style of plan throughout the book. A chapter I should very much like to write is: The Work of Fred Shepherd, through the past (say) 50 years, and wonder if you have a range of plans and thoughts that would paint this picture. The boat I have in mind to start the story is CORAL, which you designed and built in 1901, and I wonder if you have any of her plans about? It really does not matter if they are a bit tattered and torn, as we can stick them together and retrace them. Then, 40 years after, comes the AMOKURA, a most marvellous ocean racer; and I believe Moody’s are building one to your design this year. So in those three boats you spanned 45 years. Congratulations! I think this would make a marvellous chapter, and do hope and trust you can think this out; and possibly I could get in my car one fine day, drive up to see you, now you are so close, have a yarn, and look over your plans and thoughts, and return. Say Wednesday next, 16th? If I caught the 7.50 boat, I could be with you at 10 a.m., so we could have a couple of hours’ yarn, a bite of food, and I should return with a sheaf of plans immediately after lunch – or later, if you thought best. Hope this will fit with your ideas of things, and looking forward to meeting you again. Best wishes, Yours ever [Signed on behalf of] Uffa Fox P.S. I just have to dash off to London to a Y.R.A. meeting, we hope you will excuse my not signing this letter. A few suggestions:- CORAL 65 tons NEBULA 50 tons THANET 52 tons OTTER 19 tons (or SCOLOPAX 20 tons) AMOKURA and 1946 Moody boat &c., &c.,&c.

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Yachting World (October 2019)

webmstr — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 17:01:39 +0000

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Desire – 1912 Fred Shepherd sloop

webmstr — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:31:24 +0000

Built by Stow & Son yachts of Shoreham in 1912, Desire was 25′ LOA, 24’6″ LWL and 8’3″ beam with a 5′ draught and 360 sq ft of sail area. David Mills recalls: “Desire was my father’s boat, bought just after the Second World War. She lived in Salcombe during my childhood. He converted her from gaff to bermudian, and added the little doghouse. “We lived in Ashburton, on the south of Dartmoor. So, for the winter, she was brought around to Teignmouth, had the mast craned out at Morgan Giles’ yard. She was then motored under Shaldon bridge up the river Teign estuary – motive power was a small and very unreliable Watermota engine – to a mud-berth on a bend in the river right by Newton Abbot race-course, at the top of the tide. “The engine (which was, I think, fitted by my father) was very much ‘auxilliary’. She still had rowlock holes on the cockpit combing to enable her, pre-engine, to be rowed with one or two long sweeps. “In the left hand photograph below, the helmsman is my father Ruskin Mills with Bolt Head in the background – with me and the dog Puffin helping with the steering. “The diver on the right-hand photograph is also my father, with mother Sue. In the background is Desire at anchor off Galmon Head, just west of Prawle Point. “One of the photos I which I am yet to find is of Desire in Dartmouth, with a Barrel of Burgundy wine lashed to the base of the mast at deck-level. They brought this back from Treguier, all pre-planned with the Dartmouth Customs-man. He had to ‘dip’ it – I suppose to check that it was wine not brandy – before it was taken home to Ashburton to be bottled.” With thanks to David Mills for getting in contact, and providing these photographs and background information

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1980s? Monfalcone, Italy

webmstr — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 06:00:24 +0000

This photograph is believed to have been taken at Monfalcone in Northern Italy. Amokura has a white hull which marks a change from the black she is believed to have had during the ownership of Ernest Harston and George Millar, and the dark blue seen during the Carr’s tenure. The photograph is undated but perhaps dates from the early 1980s before the Pulver brothers embarked on their extensive renovation? The yacht ahead of Amokura looks quite modern so perhaps this does fit in with the photo being taken in the 1980s…

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1970s? Flying the White Ensign

webmstr — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 06:00:34 +0000

This picture shows Amokura at anchor flying the prestigious white ensign. The white ensign is the preserve of Royal Navy ships, Trinity House vessels escorting the reigning monarch, and (in Amokura‘s case) members of the Royal Yacht Squadron. Two of her previous owners, George Millar (who owned Amokura from 1954-60) and Richard Carr (from 1969-79), had this distinction. This picture shows Amokura with the aluminium masts fitted shortly after Carr purchased her in 1969 so it likely dates from the 1970s.

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1969: Pictures taken whilst the Carr family owned Amokura

webmstr — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 06:00:35 +0000

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1999: Following the IBTC refit

webmstr — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 06:00:11 +0000

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1997: IBTC refit – key improvements

webmstr — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 06:00:44 +0000

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1939: Amokura features in The Yachting Monthly article “New designs”

webmstr — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 06:00:31 +0000

This article originally appeared in The Yachting Monthly in February 1939. You can access a copy of the original article here. A Fast 50ft. Yawl Shepherd-Designed 23 Ton Cruiser LOA………………………………..50.75 ft. LWL………………………………….38.0 ft. Beam…………………………………..12 ft. Draught…………………………………7 ft. Lead keel…………………………7½ tons Sail area …………………….1,020 sq. ft. MANY experienced cruising yachtsmen have a preference for the yawl rig, despite the contention that it is not so close-winded as the cutter. But many assert that a yawl sailing with the mizzen stowed is more comfortable in a hard breeze than a cutter of the same size with the main- sail reefed down. A fine example of the modern fast cruiser of this type is now under construction by A . H . Moody & Son, Swanwick Shore, near Southampton, to designs by Fredk. Shepherd, M.I.N.A., for Major E. S. Harston, of Wyndham Place, London, W.1. The owner required a speedy vessel having the maximum possible accommodation in a 50-footer, and suitable for both cruising and handicap or ocean racing on occasion. The plans, which are reproduced, should satisfy these conditions very well. The lines are sweet and easy and promise plenty of pace. Although not based on the metacentric shelf system, the hull has in fact an almost straight and excellent shelf, and in profile the yacht is undeniably a good-looker. The overall length is 50 ft. 9 in., the water- line length is 38 ft., the beam 12 ft., and the draught 7 ft., working sail area 1,020 sq. ft. Now in process of being framed up, the hull is constructed of 1¼ in. pitch pine on grown oak frames, spaced 21 in. centres, with one bent timber of American elm between each pair of frames. The decks and the deck fittings are of Burma teak, and the interior woodwork will be carried out in light waxed oak. Delivery is to be at the end of April. Installed below the floor of the bridge deck is a 4 cylinder 12-36 h.p. Gray petrol motor fitted with 2 to 1 reduction gear, and accessible by means of a flush hatch in the floor of the deck shelter. Ventilation of the engine space is arranged by means of cowl type inlet and mushroom type extractor vents, and two fuel tanks, each of 20 gallons capacity, are located under the side decks aft. The fresh water supply of 120 gallons is carried in two inter-connected tanks below the cabin flooring amidships. There is 6 ft. 1 in. headroom throughout the accommodation, inclusive of the fo’c’sle, where there is one built-in and one folding cot berth, and a concealed lavatory for the crew. A spacious galley, equipped with an Electrolux refrigerator, is placed between the fo’c’sle and the saloon, which, in addition to the settees, has Pullman type beds. A sliding door at the after end of the saloon leads to a wide lobby, having a bathroom and lavatory on its port side and a single berth on the opposite side. On the starboard side of this […]

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1997-2000: Refit at IBTC Lowestoft

webmstr — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 04:00:23 +0000

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1939: Report in The Motor Boat and Yachting

webmstr — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 09:50:54 +0000

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1951: Mystery photo!

webmstr — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:41:21 +0000

In the early stages of compiling this website, Beken’s photos of Amokura were one of the first materials to surface. These have many attractions – their timeless style, the insight into the past, and the delight of seeing Amokura’s original, graceful, tall rig. One picture, however, has stumped Beken. Here it is, in an April 1951 publication. It shows Amokura in Groves & Gutteridge’s shed in Cowes. Beken have searched high and low but can not locate the original – so this rough photocopy is all we have. What a shame to miss out on the detail concealed by this photocopy. What other boats were in the shed? What state was Amokura in, during those post-war days? Had she already swapped the tiller she was fitted with at launch for wheel steering? We fear these questions may never be answered… But needless to say – if you have any answers, or even tenuous clues – please do get in touch via the contact page.

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1988: Cruising in the Caribbean

webmstr — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 21:06:28 +0000

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1953 Cine film: Amokura racing at Abersoch

webmstr — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:29:03 +0000

This film was kindly shared by Sir Roger Boyle. He describes the film as follows: ‘My father and his brother (both doctors in the Manchester area) used to escape from family duties to sail on various yachts moored at Abersoch. There were some old eight metres of which Aspasia was the most well known, later renamed Emily. There was a small fleet of West Solent One Designs and a couple of other famous craft. There was a ‘double-ender’ by the name of Iris (seen in the movie) and Cohoe, made famous by Adlard Coles who won a transatlantic race in her.’

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Milena – 1929 Fred Shepherd ketch

webmstr — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 03:44:53 +0000

An 89′ ketch built by White Bros. For many years she has been based in Cannes having been run as a charter boat and more recently raced extensively on the Mediterranean circuit. Milena is owned by Jacques Anderruthy who acts as skipper when she is racing. In September 2012 Milena suffered a broken mast during the Cannes Regates Royales-Trophee after losing her backstay during a squall.

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Letter from Harry Spencer to David Japp, November 1995

webmstr — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:21:57 +0000

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