R34
Owner
Alan O’Regan
Provenance
The boat was bought new from Dave Rankin by Roddy and Ann Cooke on 11.10.1983 for the sum of IR £450. The spars, oars, rudder, tiller and centreboard were extra. Her first set of sails were made by McWilliams Sailmakers of Crosshaven in 1987. (See invoice below). They were made in Enterprise dinghy Blue as Roddy was an ex Enterprise sailor. Roddy and Ann brought the boat home to Waterford and sailed it in Dunmore East between 1987 and 1993. In 1993 when they moved to London for work, they sailed on the river Crouch out of the Brandy Hole Yacht Club. Moving home to Ireland in 2000, they settled in Moville, Co. Donegal where the boat was sailed regularly on Lough Foyle.
While visiting Roddy and Ann at Greencastle in 2004, Ray and Ann Murry saw the boat in the garage and fell in love with it. With a young family who were learning to sail and enjoy the sea, the boat was perfect for their needs. They sailed in Dublin Bay, launching from the Coal Harbour slip in Dun Laoghaire. On a few occasions, they towed it to Lake Muckno, Castleblayney and also to Clew Bay in Westport where it was sailed and motored on summer holidays. Under motor and oars, the boat was perfect for fun fishing trips on the lake and bay. During this time they added a stainless keel band and added stainless steel plates to the transom for a Honda 2.4, 4 stroke outboard engine. The keel band was laser cut from a sheet with an interesting inscription engraved into it at the time!
In 2007, they travelled to Brittany in France where they stored the boat in a garage beside their holiday house. During the summers they launched from the beach near Névez or from the public slips at Port Manec’h and Raguenez where they sailed, motored or just pottered about while fishing for mackerel. On occasion when the tide was favourable, they motor/sailed up the river L’Aven to the town of Pont-Aven and on the river Bélon to a restaurant called Chez Jacky.
In May 2019, they returned to Ireland with the Rankin which was sold to the “Rankin Class” (the deal being done on a lay by close to the Ringaskiddy Ferry Terminal). She was then passed on to Rourie Allen & Family who sailed her on a number of occasions over the following years. As Ruairi had not been able to use the Rankin to any great extent he was persuaded to move the boat on. Hence is 2025, Alan & John O’Regan bought her and have been perfecting their sailing skills ever since.
Commenting on the article in Afloat following the handover in 2019, Roddy, her first owner commented: “Just re read the article and seeing the lads examining the paddle. Home made, at sea aboard the MV Derbyshire, would you believe! A pickaxe handle from the bosuns locker and an offcut of ply! Bit more history for them.
I was on the MV Derbyshire the trip before she was lost in 1980. I was due to be back on Derbyshire on her fateful trip but was swapped to her sister ship Cambridgeshire at last moment.
When the Derbyshire went missing, I had just paid off in Japan. I was in the same typhoon Orchid, 300 miles away when she was lost. Both ships due in Japan within 24 hrs of each other”.
