Due to illness my 72ft harbour defence launch is for sale she has twin engines and currently affloat it would very similar to HDML medusa with very little work topside below decks it can be used as houseboat as it has central heating in four cabins and the lounge outwardly and top wheelhouse she looks every inch a warship and she does have dummy guns she is powerd by twin 235hp detroit diesels this vessel has lots of war history she was damaged by german fire topside was repaired by the navy.she seen lots of action and was used in special forces operations in the med. she is also on the historical ships register for further history there is also aboard various ww2 items which includes uniforms papers etc for further information and history on doctors instructions this vessel must go and i am prepaird to except 14000 and moorings paid up to the moving date many thanks craig

07871219952

she is being sold for a fraction of her worth due to circumstances as outlined  pictures can be emailed as to large to post

Hi Craig-I borrowed your photo from Yachtworld to show how good Lewina ex ML1305 is looking nowadays.

Regards,Christian

Christian,

You beat me to it, spotted the picture this morning. She looks very lean and fit for purpose, I hope that she finds a loving home.

Hi Craig,

Where is she berthed please? Also can you plese send me some more pics. I have pm-ed my email address.

Hi Sentley,

For some photos, goto  http://www.houseboatcentre.co.uk/ - http://www.houseboatcentre.co.uk/

Click on 'Houseboats'  and look down the list to £35,000 and "Historic wartime motor patrol launch" about 20 photos there.

I'm just glad I didn't read the advert properly and realise the price! She looks really interesting. Good luck if you go to view her.

Hi All,

Just seen the posts about the above, well, very interesting, would be nice to see her and Medusa running together perhaps, ah, not wanting to be a damp squid but..see claims on the brokerage site about national lottery funding and free berthing at national ports, well, have experience of the lottery and as far as I know, you would at the least need to be a registred charity and not a privately owned vessel,  not heard of this free berthing, would be nice if true. But any way, would still be nice if someone could take her on, can't offer free berthing but if coming by Chatham Marina, give a call, would be nice to see her.

John  

Hello,

Just been onto the Historic Ships site, thought I saw her some years ago, and she had a radically different top side ie as a cruiser, but can see the current owner since 1999 has turned her back to origional look, well done, she dose look so much better. As one of only six left I have no doubt she deserves to be kept as is, and hopefully run around and shown off, nice to see her in company with Medusa one day perhaps, she of course has had a one million grant ex the lottery for a complete re-furb, not saying money could not be available for Lewina, we at the Medway Queen have managed to get a grant after Waverly and Kingswear Castle paddlers have had money,but as I said, I don't think it would come to a private vessel, would be like getting money to do up your own car or house, however I have a vague idea that has happend with some person in the art world got money for thier house, though there might have been restrictions on what they could do with it in terms of selling it may by. Any way, all very interesting, watching with interest.

John 

Hi John

There's at least 38 HDMLs still surviving, see the survivors section of the HMS Medusa website they are all listed there (not to say that this in any way reduces Lewinas historical value, she does indeed look very good as she is now). Where did you come by the figure of 6?

Regards,Christian.

Hi Christian,

I think the figure of 6 comes from the Historic ships Reister. That claims her to be "one of 6 in the world out of 280 worldwide." I think it must be a typo for one of 6 in the Country!!

Hi Sentley

Thanks for clearing that up, you must be right. The total number built was closer to 480 though, although again perhaps 280 were UK built, I haven't checked this.

Rgds, Christian.

Hello again,

Yes, I just took the figure of six at face value but.. as you have pointed out and thinking about it, there are a number about as cruisers/houseboats but not in origional condition or looks so to speak, I guess it could be the case well there are a number about but that was said of many of these and other vessels and we have ended up with none! I think the work of BMPT and private people now is to really get hold of these craft and make sure we don't lose them, easy said I know, but it appears that the interest in them is there, so a good sign.

John

Hi John.

I think you are quite right. These things seem to go from lots avaliable to none seemingly overnight. I suppose the point is that wooden boats, even with the various modern materials avaliable, require so much time apart from money that its easy to see how they become a burden rather than a pleasure for their owners. That said I would prefer wood and a soul to plastic and shiny!

That said it is right that they should be preserved not least as a tribute to those who served in them. I keep trying to imagine what it must have been like to go to war in a floating bomb. That requires a peculiar kind of courage.

What is really needed is a group of people with an interest in small boats of the period to persuade "big business" to throw some money at the problem but its not going to happen unfortunately unles of course there is someone out there who knows different.........

Hi Sentley,

Quite agree, a wooden vessel can so easily be let go and need so much work to bring back if at all, are you still looking at Lewina? very tempting to a person with that sort of cash around but..I know, I may come across as a downer, but boringly have to think of the future upkeep and even mooring a 72 foot boat is not cheap, despite the words on the brokerage site I talked about. As I said, it needs I think a centre of skill and berthing for these boats, hopefully at Poole and perhaps elsewhere.

John 

John hi,

You are right about a centre and Poole seems like a good idea for all sorts of reasons. In an ideal world I would have either an MTB or MGB all of my own but I have to support a Bank Manager and a Building Society Manager and they keep telling me how expensive it is. Still at least my wife isn't yet a boat widow!!

The only way to do it properly is to go into it with a dispassionate and dare I say a downer point of view. That way the owner and the boat may survive.

Sentley

Of course, the problem with Poole, for those of us of a  more North Eastern persuasion, is the distance. 

It would be wonderful if we could get a small collection of boats on the East coast and perhaps make a showing at some events like the Lowestoft Boat show.

They could make the odd 'foray' down South of course, in the Summer of course.

I actualy don't care where they are, an advantage of being more central. Just so long as they are somewhere safe and well looked after.

What would be nice, I think everyone will agree, is to see a harbour full of these boats and then perhaps an at sea display. What I wouldn't give to take part in such an event.

Hi Again,

Quite agree, however I am sure though that there are possibilities on the east coast as well as Don suggests, have a place in mind but as I am not the owner! not my place to suggest it.

John

Is she still for sale?

A friend of mine called Terry is interested in her.He is on 07721 846684

I've tried the mobile number listed but cannot get through.

Cant help it if there are meglamaniac qualities. No one actually got there as Don had to cry off. The photos look good topsides but inside restored as a live aboard by the look. Depends what you want I suppose.

The general problem with HDMLs I am told, and to a lesser extent MLs is that they roll on wet grass. Personally I prefer a thud to a roll and I have always been a speed merchant, but not everyone is the same. "You pays your money and takes your choice"