Vicki May was built in Thorpe St. Andrew on the Norfolk Broads in England in 1930 by A.G.Ward. She was originally called Sea King and is of a typical Broads design built for pleasure cruising on inland lakes and rivers.

 

As Sea King, she was part of the Blakes hire fleet and featured in their catalogues from 1931 to 1939.

 

She is timber carvel construction, originally Mahogany planks on Oak ribs. Over the years many planks have been replaced. Replacement planks are generally of Larch. Her interior was fitted out in Art Deco style, and much has survived including the original light fittings and mirrors.

 

When built, she was powered with a 12 h.p. RE4 Thornycroft engine. The current engine is a 48 h.p. Perkins 4108.

 

Originally she had a centre cockpit and a rear Masters Cabin which had a “full size white porcelain bath”. During World War II she was used as a river patrol boat on the Norfolk Broads and associated navigations. This was possibly when the rear cabin was removed, though there are reports that it survived into the 1950s.

 

After the war there is a gap in her history. She reappeared on the River Thames in the mid 1950s where she underwent a couple of name changes, eventually becoming Vicki May, the name she retains today.

 

We purchased her in 1999 when she was on the Thames at Henley and brought her back to Portaneena on the inner lakes of Lough Ree. Since then we have carried out significant restoration works and cruised her extensively.

 

She has sailed to the limits of all the navigations currently accessible from the Shannon, including Dublin on the Grand Canal, Waterford via the Grand Canal and the River Barrow, Carrick-on-Suir, Inistioge on the River Nore, Belleek on Lough Erne and Limerick via the Abbey River.