JOY

Built by Alf Last at Walter Cook’s yard in Maldon for the owners of the Thames Sailing Barge JOY in 1948. They rejected her straight away as she was a foot too long for the davits on the barge.
JOY was sold off by Cook’s and converted to a sailing boat. She eventually ended up in Mersea where David Green rescued her in the 1960’s. He fitted her out as sailing boat and she raced with the Fisherman’s Open Boats. passed her on - to begin a series of adventures which included being used in the film The Snow Goose, filmed off Heybridge Basin and in Walton Backwaters. She enjoyed the love and care of Janet and Charles Harker, and when Charles, who was an auctioneer, moved to Scotland with his job, JOY moved with him and she was moored in the Solway Firth. Then back to Mersea, Peldon and off to Cornwall, Brittany and the Norfolk Broads.

The boat JOY has now been back in West Mersea for several years and has had a complete rebuild. She is still sailing with her current owner Will Crossley of West Mersea.

To be continued..