Preview September 1937

In September 1937 The Motor Boat magazine published a preview of the boat that was to become Ruda. The text of this article is reproduced below.

As announced in the issue of The Motor Boat for August 13, motor cruisers are to be produced at the recently reorganised yard of Lady Bee, Ltd., Shoreham, Sussex. The first craft, a 39-footer, is now being planked up.

She has a beam of 10 ft. and approximately 3 ft. 6 ins. draught. A 16-cwt. iron keel is fitted. The machinery consists of a pair of two-cylinder June diesel engines, developing 20 h.p. each at 1,000 r.p.m. These Swedish-built units are of the two-stroke solid-injection type, and were fully described in The Motor Boat for April 23.

Electric starters are fitted, and it may be mentioned that the price of this motor so equipped is £170.

An interesting point about this cruiser is that her price – approximately £2,000 – includes a season’s free maintenance (labour only) at the builders’ moorings. This means that an owner can be assured that his yacht will be ready for sea, say, on a Friday night, and that when he returns on Sunday evening the yard will take charge, clean her up and refill the fuel and water tanks.

The cruiser is designed primarily for use in the English Channel and is strongly constructed. Keel framing is of oak, and Canadian rock elm timbers are interposed between each pair of wrought frames. The planking is of pitch pine.

The living accommodation includes two double staterooms, a saloon below decks, and a combined wheelhouse and saloon. The boat was designed by A. E. Stow (sic), A.M.I.N.A., who is one of the directors of the yard.

Comments are closed.