| # | Boat Name | Original Owners(s) / Crew | Etymology
[Person supplying information] |
|---|
| 1 | Kate | Charles Leafe | A play on words - Syndicate (syndi Kate)- the group (Jack Holt, Beecher Moore, Noel Jordan, Tony Howard, Bernard Lee and Veri Wagner) behind the building of the prototype Merlin.
[Mike Liggett (& The Merlin Rocket Book)] |
| 2 | Wizard | | Reason not stated - but probably from the slang word meaning 'excellent' or 'first class'.
[The Merlin Rocket Book] |
| Re-named:-Merlin | Group Capt Haycock | The Group Capt had tired of the RAF slang word and so changed the name to Merlin who was King Arthur's wizard. He then added the insignia in the shape of Merlin's hat.
[The Merlin Rocket Book] |
| 40 | Enchanter | |
 [Patricia Jones] |
| Re-named:-
San Fairy Ann | Re-named by:-
Miss. S. Caines | A play on words from French Ca ne fait rien meaning 'that’s nothing'
[Mike Liggett / Patricia Jones] |
| Returned to original name:-
Enchanter | Returned to original name by:-
Pat James | Pat felt it was unlucky to change the name of a boat and since the original mythical Merlin was a wizard or enchanter why change in the first place?
[Patricia Jones] |
| 180 | Killick | | 'Killick' is Royal Navy slang for a Leading Seaman (from the badge worn on the uniform : a single anchor). Everyone would rather their boat was leading.
[David Cooper] |
| 187 | Naiad | | A river/lake dwelling nymph.
[Mike Liggett] |
| 227 | Rockettoo | | Built by Wyche & Coppock and so named as the first Rocket to(o) conform with the Merlin Class rules. Sailed in the 1950 Champs. by Bruce Banks (6th) and 1951 Champs. by Howard Williams (3rd).
[Mike Liggett] |
| 292 | Chinook | Robin Judah | Came 5th. in 1951 Champs.
[Mike Liggett] |
| 447 | Nerine | | A mythical Roman water nymph.
[Mike Liggett] |
| 575 | Arion | Chris Starr | Named after a successful race horse of the time
[John Cooper] |
| 578 | Chindit | | Chindit - "Chindits" were a fighting force in World War 2.
Word origin: from Burmese chinthe a fabulous lion a symbol of which was their badge; adoption of title perhaps influenced by Chindwin
[Peter Slack] |
| 666 | Hell Cat | Mike Astley | 666 is the number of "the beast"/the Antichrist/ the Devil.
[Mike Liggett] |
| 684 | Crew Cut | Tony Fox | The boat was helmed by John Oakley but owned by his crew (Tony Fox).
[Patrick Blake] |
| 844 | Bumper | | It has been suggested that 'Bumper' was linked to the drinking of champagne. Bumper is an obsolete expression to describe a glass filed to the brim. The second owner, Roger Stapleton, planned to change the name but on his first outing managed to ram another boat. The plan to change the name was dropped. At some later date the name was changed.
[Roger Stapleton] |
| 999 | Rozzer | Clive Curtiss | Slang name for policeman.
[Mike Liggett.] |
| 1027 | Team Spirit | John Laing & Son Ltd | This belonged to the John Laing & Son Ltd. sports club.
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1066 | Ten-sixty-six | Leslie Brain | The date of the Battle of Hastings
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1079 | Passing Cloud | Harry Harris | A reference to the cigarettes smoked by Harry - a habit he got whilst serving in the army during WW2. Passing Cloud cigarettes (manufactured by WD & HO Wills) - oval in cross section and in a pink pack.
[Robert Harris] |
| 1198 | Popocateptl | Alan Warren | Alan had a 'thing' about volcanoes - they were big and went off with a big bang. Popocatpetl is an active volcano, located in Central Mexico.
[Alan Warren] |
| 1205 | Binzee II | Peter Binns | A play on words with the owners name - I guess his second boat.
[Guy Gurney] |
| 1275 | Skish | Frank Warren (father of Alan) | Named her 'Skish' for the sound a boat makes when going through the water.
[Guy Gurney] |
| 1313 | Damnation | Patrick Cronin | Patrick built the boat in 1961 and thought that the combination of 1313 and Double Trouble would be really cool. Unfortunately, when he applied to register it he found that Double Trouble was already taken. Damnation was used instead as an expression of his frusrrtration. In retrospec, not a very appropriate name for such a boat.
Patrick Cronin in retrospect
[Patrick Cronin] |
| 1488 | Dugout | Doug Pearson | A play on words with the owners name.
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1493 | Katy Lou | Gordon Payne | First owned by Gordon (at Upper Thames) and was named in honour of his daughter.
[Chris Rathbone / Ross Jackson] |
| 1572 | Esperanza | | Esperanza is the spanish for 'hope' & 'expectation'
|
| 1584 | Cotapaxi | Alan Warren | Continuation of a previous theme (1198). Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains.
[Alan Warren] |
| 1620 | Whiplash | | Owned by Rod & Jo since 1975. They never liked the name, which was never written on the boat, but chose not to rename it. However, they were continually asked by fellow sailors (in France & Belgium) C’est quoi ça, comme bateau? It was therefore decided to display the information where they hoped everyone would read it.
 [Rod & Jo Andrew-Becker] |
| 1685 | Too Scared | Phil Tyler | A continuation of a theme - Phil had previously owned 162 - 'Scare'
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1693 | Magic Dragon | Anthony Evans | Named after a popular tune of the time "Puff the Magic Dragon".
[Tony Lane] |
| 1697 | Beatle Cut | Patrick Blake | The boat was completed in 1963 and the Beatles were taking the world by storm. It was Pat Blake's second Merlin, the first being 'Crew Cut' previously owned by Tony Fox and John Oakley. Patrick had long floppy hair then so it had to be Beatle Cut.
[Patrick Blake] |
| 1711 | Fearless | | Fearless was exported to Belgium in 2013 and rebuilt by Rod Andrews in 2017. Unfortunately nothing known about the reason for the name.
 [Francois Podevyn] |
| 1723 | March Hare | Mike Jackson | Mike had already desgned (in 1962) a N12 and named the design 'March Hare' This boat - a Sugar Plum - was also one of his deisgns.
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1810 | Seagoon | John Lawrence | John, a fan of The Goon Show. One of the main characters was Neddie Seagoon - played by Harry Secombe.
[Brian Hackett (the crew)] |
| Re-named:-
Natbites | Not known
| Boat renamed after it was sold by John in 1969
[Peter Male] |
| 1850 | Dunker | Frank Dunning | Frank was always capsizing so boat was named accordingly!
[Barry Dunning] |
| 1890 | Dai Bach | Dai Davies | There seem to be various translations of Dai Bach - take your pick.
|
| 1895 | Rampage | Not known | Name taken from the dictionary definition "to go about wildly"
[The Merlin Rocket Book] |
| Re-named:-
Exe Profundis | Not known | Not known
[Year Book] |
| 1911 | Alfa Mo | | A yellow boat. The original owner towed her around in a bright yellow Alfa Romeo.
[Hywel Bowen Perkins (jnr)] |
| 1939 | Royal Dutch | G. Chick | 'G' worked for Royal Dutch-Shell.
[Mike Liggett] |
| Re-named:-
Tarcus | Re-named by:-
P. Melvin |
[Peter Male] |
| Re-named:-
Englands Glory | Re-named by;-
D. Holtham |
[Peter Male] |
| Re-named
War Horse | Re-named by:-
Mike Liggett | Mike considered this sounded a fighting name.
(War Horse was also a London stage play - following a film - based on a book)
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1945 | Marmite | Terry Stark | Terry and his crew went down to Bob Hoare's to pick up the boat. There was much discussion on names and it got to the stage that the dinghy was launched - still without a name. At this point Terry's crew said "Which do you like best, Bovril or Marmite?" Terry replied "Marmite" His crew
responded with "I name this boat Marmite".
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1965 | Dougout Too | Doug Pearson | Doug followed a theme from his previous boat (1488).
[Mike Liggett] |
| 1972 | Hull O Dolly | | The boat carries the name Hull'O Dolly but the Year Books since 1994 show Hell-O-Dolly or Hello Dolly - depending where you look. Up to 1994 it is simply recorded as Hell-O
The boat was build in 1966. In 1964, the musical Hello Dolly was staged on Broadway and then in 1965, the West End. The title song became a best seller.
 [Colin Nunn / Peter Male] |
| 1999 | William the Conquerer | Will Godfrey | One of a series of boat commisioned by Will, all named with his eponymous ‘Will’ theme. It is thought that William the Conquerer was the first.
[Noelle Wright] |
| 2004 | Rage | Spud Rowsell | Follow of the theme from 1895
[The Merlin Rocket Book] |
