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Commissioned by the Sayers family of Eastbourne the Southern Queen was one of two boats built by Mr R. Prangnell and Sons in Westham Village nr Pevensey. They hired the barn at Street Farm which bordered Westham High Street as their boat shed in Eastbourne near to the old Lifeboat Shed was too small ! They added an extension to one end of the barn so as to have enough length to build the boats.
Commissioned by the Allchorn family of Eastbourne East Sussex and the brain child of Mr R. Cantell of Newhaven East Sussex it was designed on the Cantell dining room table under the watchful eyes of his family, the boat soon to be known as the William Allchorn was born.
The Allchorn pleasure boats have long been part of Eastbourne’s major tourist attractions for many decades and has formed part of the local maritime heritage.
One hundred years ago Eastbourne had a thriving pleasure boat industry, which by then was already over a hundred years old. Eastbourne had many boat yards such as Gausdens in Beach Road, later to become Sisks who built rowing skiffs for £1.00 per foot (many years ago) and not forgetting Prangnell and Sons at Street Farm in Westham Village. At one point there were 113 separate boat licences granted for Eastbourne between the Wish Tower and the Redoubt fortress with such old Eastbourne families as Boniface, Hide, Sayers, Huggett to name but a few and not forgetting the Allchorn family. After two world wars and a drop in tourism they decreased until the early sixties when there were only two familys left the Sayers and Allchorns. Mr Sayers thought enough was enough and in 1965 sold his boats Southern Queen and Eastbourne Queen’ (built by Prangnell and Son) to the Allchorns. The Eastbourne Queen was sold off and the Southern queen became the new sister boat to the William Allchorn which was built in Newhaven by Cantell in 1950 for the Allchorns. Both boats were designed and built to be beach launched and spent their entire working life operating off the beach west of Eastbourne pier. The Eastbourne Queen is now believed to be lying somewhere on the bottom of the Norfolk Broads.
These two remaining boats are all that is left of 200 years of local boating history, they represent and stand for all that has gone before; we have managed to secure the boats for future generations, now begins the difficult task of fundraising and conducting the restoration process. The team at this time includes Marine Professionals and carpenters, engineers and enthusiastic volunteers.
We are always open to fund raising ideas and donations, all money donated or raised will go directly to fund the project.
The aim of the project is to return the boats to a working condition and run, in some form, the pleasure trips again along Eastbourne’s seafront, in some capacity, which they have done for the past 65 years!
We have been busy in the boasted and have created a visitor/heritage and education centre for anyone to come and enjoy.
Please come and say hello if you are in the area, we will be pleased to welcome you in.
The boat was originally part funded by the people of Eastbourne. She came by road to the Lifeboat Museum car park (nr the Wish Tower) in 1979, she was named by HRH the Duke of Kent.
Allchorn Maritime Ltd recognises the importance of ocean health on a global scale. Healthy seas and oceans contribute to a healthy planet, which in turn benefits every one of us. We also recognise the health benefits of getting outdoors and utilising the fabulous opportunities on our doorstep. We recognise that the marine environment is a valuable resource to be used in a sustainable manner.
