Arthur Ransome’s Peter Duck restored
The IOD yacht Falcon, highly commended in this year’s awards in the ‘restored sailing vessel under 40ft’ category, left the yard in April 2021, to be replaced by Arthur Ransome’s Peter Duck, which came in for a major refit. The yacht, known to all as ‘PD’, ever since she was so named by Arthur Ransome, has been on the River Deben many years and these days belongs to the maritime author Julia Jones, who usually carries out annual maintenance.
Since her construction at Harry King’s yard in nearby Pin Mill, PD’s layout and arrangement has remained largely unchanged as subsequent owners have been far more satisfied with her performance and handling than Mr Ransome famously was but it was decided to make some subtle, practical changes this time around. PD’s mizzen horse has always been fastened to a short timber atop her transom rather than to her transom itself, causing repeating problems with movement and water ingress to the aft deck. Now an extended bronze horse, securely fastened, and a rebuilt aft deck should have resolved the issues.
While replacing a section of bridgedeck and mizzen tabernacle, the cockpit layout was also subtly tweaked, improving engine access, drainage, stowage and allowing for a new water tank to be fitted.
Peter Duck’s hull was largely left alone, requiring only some raking and caulking on her starboard side, a butt block refastening and a heel repair. She emerged looking transformed, with new paint above and below the waterline shining below new bulwarks, freshly painted decks, varnished cabin sides and rig. Peter Duck has not seen such extensive works since 1999 when, upon her return from being left in the ice in St. Petersburg, Julia again employed the help of Woodbridge Boatyard, then still Everson & Sons, to bring her back to a seaworthy state. With her latest body of work complete Peter Duck is ready to cruise East Anglia for decades to come. This summer she will be joined by another of Arthur Ransome’s yachts, Nancy Blackett at Suolk Yacht Harbour as part of the Felixstowe Book Festival where Julia will be presenting one her latest book Uncommon Courage – The Yachtsman Volunteers of World War II.