Built in 1936 by John I. Thornycroft & Co. the 36M Amazone had a long cruising career which came to an end in 2000 when she moved to Paris to serve as a houseboat on the Seine. After the indignities of a 1980s refit that spoiled her original elegance and a period of neglect she was at risk of being lost.
Long on our radar as an ideal candidate for restoration we were tasked with acquiring her and shifting her to Pendennis for restoration. G. L. Watson & Co. oversaw the legal work prior to the getting her underway. To relieve Amazone of a vast accumulation of junk a crane barge was brought alongside and over 30 tonnes removed. Various welding works were carried out and a towage certificate obtained from the French authorities ahead of a tow to Le Havre.
For the transit to Le Havre, Amazone was strapped to a dumb barge and a pusher tug was used. 24 hours after arrival in Le Havre, Amazone was loaded on board the 214M semi-submersible Yacht Servant and 36 hours later was successfully delivered to Falmouth and towed into Pendennis Shipyard’s wet dock.
