Aberdonia (yacht)

The Aberdonia is a British pre-war motor yacht moored at Chelsea Harbour. Built by the Thornycroft ship yard and launched in 1935 Aberdonia has a rich history, former uses include a patrol boat, mine sweeper and is one of the little ships of dunkirk.

Aberdonia, Dunkirk & the War

Aberdonia is one of the many Thornycroft cruisers built at Hampton-on-Thames just before the war which went to Dunkirk where she is thought to have made four trips to the beaches even before they had time to repaint her in battleship grey. She was then requisitioned to work as a patrol boat in the Royal Navy, attached to HMS Fervant. At that time they renamed her Navigator and she is known to have worked with the RN Minesweepers and took sealed orders from the Admiralty to convoys lying off Shoeburyness and Deal.

Once, at this time, she narrowly escaped destruction when a German bomber was shot down and the pilot bravely attempted to crash into our ships as he went down into the sea. Wreckage hit the starboard side of Aberdonia and thirty years later her then owner removed scorched timbers during restoration.

Her present owners, Paul and Bridget King, have completed the restoration including fitting two new Perkins Diesel engines. She is now moored in Chelsea Harbour.