Restoration of RMMV Athlone Castle

Aim

Restore the very historic little wooden boat, RMMV Athlone Castle, the last wooden survivor of the Union Castle Line

Royal Mail Motor Vessel Athlone Castle 1934. 

A 32 foot long, 92 year old wooden radio transmission vessel built by Harland and Wolfe, Athlone Castle is one of the most historical little boats in the world, with more than 2.147m nautical miles on her log. One of the few surviving "little boats" involved in the Dunkirk operation, where she embarked on 2 rescue missions on consecutive days, saving 48 souls from the French beaches, as well as 7 crossings of the Atlantic with the convoys, 3 repatriations to Perth from Cape Town and 147 voyages with her mothership from Southampton to Cape Town. Her mission; to relay and transmit ship-to-shore heartfelt messages and strict commands throughout every voyage.

This historical boat is still a key part of the harbour at West Bay. Loved enormously by her current owners, and used frequently to make thousands of people smile and now we're asking you to help save her.

July 4th 10.00hrs

A week of excitement for 6 eight year old children leading up to a birthday party on a pirate ship. The old wooden boat was polished and painted, checked and tidied ready for the big occasion. On the morning of July 4th, the children walked down the pontoon with their parents, to met the skipper and his best mate, the Jolly Roger flag flying above them. Everyone put on their lifejackets and the old wooden boat's engine was started, the mooring ropes untethered and off they went on a pirate adventure. The skipper told everyone that he would have to throttle up the engine through the harbour piers to get them through the harbour entrance waves and that the engine might get a little louder but it wouldn't be for long... and it wasn't. Around 50 metres from the harbour mouth, the engine died and they were all left bouncing in the choppy waves with the bow of the boat exposed to the strong South Westerly breeze. Immediately, the skipper checked that the children and adults were safe and gave them reassurance that although the engine had failed, he'd throw an anchor and had called for assistance, following absolute protocol. However, by this point it was unnecessary to call the emergency services or scramble the harbour master since they were almost in touching distance of the harbour piers. The anchor didn't grab the sandy seabed enough to stop the boat from dragging it and within moments, the vessel was beached in the breakwater waves. It was safe enough to hand the children off the vessel, followed by the adults and then the skipper jumped overboard onto the beach, after having checked that all the safety procedures had been followed. Over the next 32 hours, the tragedy and drama unfolded in front of a packed beach of onlookers-turned-supporters, as the little old heroic wooden boat was bashed relentlessly by the broadside breaker waves of mother nature, all through the night the waves continued to bash her. People pulled her planks from the water and made a small camp of her parts, whilst they waited for the tide to retreat. The next morning, as the early sun rose, the night time beating was clearly evident. A tear through her 92 year old port side hull, weighed down by shingle and sea water and still lying exposed to the waves. 

July 5th

After a day of tense digger work and temporary patchwork repairs to her hull, she was in a better position as she awaited high tide. By now, thousands of onlookers lined the beach and harbour walls. Word had spread far and wide of the tragedy and many onlookers, who have affiliation with this harbour character boat, stood with forlorn faces, until, with a push of the harbour master's digger bucket and a pull from the harbour's pilot boat, she reluctantly slid into the water, only to quickly take much of it into her hull. The cheers turned to sadness again as the water soon overwhelmed the hull and she became submerged - but not sunk and therefore not insured. Half-sunk, the top of the wheel house and mast could be seen slowly crawling towards the harbour, towed by the harbour pilot boat. All was not lost. Eventually, she was dragged up out of the water onto the slip way to cheers of relief lining the piers. 

She was battered and torn, but had miraculously made it back to her home of the harbour - and now her legacy must be honoured.

The plan.

The Athlone Castle needs to be rebuilt using as many of her reclaimed timbers as possible. This requires the talents of master shipwrights and local crafts people and funding. Every contribution of talent or funding are so very gratefully received and although there cannot be the promise of a reward for a ride in her, we know that her very presence in the harbour will make people smile and will remind them of her endurance over time and the bravery of the sailors who have sailed her around the world.

The Athlone Castle is a symbol of survival and endurance. A mark of man's achievements. From the lives she saved during the Second World War, to the millions of messages transmitted through her aerial rigging and radio, she's come too far and has weathered too many storms to give up now. This local tragedy is merely part of her long and courageous history, so we want to get her back in the water to make people smile once again. She has brought people together, this time in the form of community spirit that underpins this Dorset coastal village.

The 92 year old vessel transmitted millions of telegrams and radio messages from loves ones during her service. Imagine the huge amount of joy, sadness and heroism she's witnessed through her service. Tears, hope and laughter. 

July 6th.

 The sea was as flat as a mill pond and the sunrise was magnificent. A peaceful tiredness crept around the harbour. Wounded, Athlone lay on her side ready for her repairers. Her submerged engine was removed and prepared in hours by the first dedicated mechanical volunteer who has also volunteered to refit her once all the timber work and meticulous paint work has been completed, and so it has begun.  

A local sign writer, a crane operator, a transportation company, caterers, coffee makers, electrical suppliers, a famous London grocery store, two local garages, a local foundry, a bell maker, an engraver, have all offered their help but we need a shelter, Dorset oak, copper rivets, tools, new portholes, skin fittings, pumps, pipes, new rigging, lights, lead for ballast, black caulking, sanders, varnish, paint, workbenches, a generator, a new ships compass, marine batteries, copper cabling, copper nails, a new starter motor, a new alternator, bronze halyards, bronze cleats, metal polish, sand paper, the list goes on. In short, every donation and contribution helps this loving boat to once again float and for, not just the owner, but for the whole community to keep this incredible vessel in a preserved retirement once again.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th September 2026 at 11:11am