n the process of engine and tanks removal her engine bay deck house was destroyed along with the steel bridge. The writer Percy Westerman took pity on this venerable wreck and employed a one-armed carpenter to build a large new deck house. Named "Cavinia" she was towed to Poole then up river to Wareham and moored to become the headquarters of The Redclyffe Yacht Club. In practice she became a rather exclusive club for old naval types to meet, drink and elect cronies. The Yacht Club proper reformed itself elsewhere, ashore!
ut not much is known about these post war years. We presume there were owners who attempted to make some accommodation inside her abandoned interior spaces but chiefly enjoyed the deckhouse and old saloon area.
However, more determined owners arrived in the 1960's. Leslie and Peggy Digby and their children decided to make her their home. Now named 'Daystar', She was hauled ashore for a survey at Cobbs boatyard, Hamworthy, and given a very good report. She remained there on local moorings until the late 1970's, a much loved houseboat. One day when cleaning the bilges a tiny jug from the Monticello hotel appeared. Possibly rolled off Lindbergh's breakfast tray? During those years Leslie had dreams of fitting an engine or two to motor her around the coast, but it was an impossible dream.
aystar was sold eventually to an unknown dealer and then, in 1979, she was bought by Alan Eckford who lived in Norfolk. This man had been a very distinguished wartime Squadron Leader and ace Spitfire pilot at Biggin Hill, but his life in peacetime rather unknown - something in th Air Ministry.
Then aged about 60, Eckford may have had some plan for her but instead sold her again in a year. But during that year he made the fateful decision (mainly for us) to have her towed all the way from Poole to the river Deben on the Suffolk coast. It was to be her base for another 38 years - until now.
There were more houseboat years when most portholes were unscrewed and sold and she fell on hard times, culminating in another buyer, the young 'Wolfie' Smith. With hardly any funds, a partner, a goat and some chickens, he made the boat their home. He also set about trying to restore her to some semblance of her better days. He took up joinery and made the interior tidy and comfortable. Also tried, before the internet, to do some historical research. Not least his son Jake was born aboard...as a little boy I remember him observing "dad, the soap has gone mouldy!"
But finding and keeping a mooring on the upper Deben proved a big problem and eventually the Council bore down with threats to have her disposed of by chainsaw. She was also beginning to leak quite badly. We saw her advertised for sale and the rest is more history....the Rescue.
