Wooden Drascombes
John Watkinson
Buys Kelly and Hall Boatyard
When the current owner of Kelly and Hall decided to retire the boatyard was subsequently bought by Commander John Watkinson, an experienced and accomplished Naval Officer, his last command being the destroyer H.M.S. Vanguard before deciding to leave the service of Queen and Country in 1958 to try his hand at a new venture. From an early age boats had been an important and passionate part of John Watkinson's life. His new venture was something he'd always wanted to do, own a boatyard and build boats to his designs. He was already a capable draughtsman and boat builder, so the plans came together when he took ownership of Kelly and Hall.
John Watkinson or "Watty" as he was affectionately known, took a very unusual approach to business, not always conventional, but often very inventive. One of his early designs was a boat named "Satellite". She had a fin keel, carvel underwater planking and lapstrake marine plywood topsides, a bit of a hybrid and quite controversial at the time. Launched with much ceremony, she was also exhibited at the 1960 London Boat Show in Earls Court where she attracted considerable interest. Other designs followed, some quite traditional in construction, such as clinker built fishing boats, some that bore the hallmarks of thinking 'outside the box' including a floating catamaran hide for a famous wildlife film maker.
Last updated: 9 November, 2006
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