Orkney Image Library

Think that the owner was Mr Hugh Birley of Huip Farm Stronsay. He and his family sailed the Pertelote all around Orkney each summer, think that she was overwintered somewhere south.

Hugh Birley (hope my spelling is correct) who had Huip Farm in Stronsay was the owner.

Had a trip on her from Stronsay to Kirkwall with Mr. Birley and family on a beautiful summer's day around 1969-70. Great people - lovely boat.Black hull is correct.

I worked as a nanny for Hugh and Jill Birley in Sparsholt, Hants. Summer of 1967. We sailed on their boat Pertelote that summer. She was moored at Newton Ferrers. I have a good photograph.

I remember the boat in Kirkwall basin but wouldn't have been able to recall the name of it. Was also in Sea Cadets for a while and can clearly remember Brian at School!
Seem to recall him having a mishap on his bike at bottom of East Road!

The Pertelote was I understand built by Moody’s yard in I think Southampton in the late 1950’s. Hugh Jill
and the Children sailed up the North Sea from Southampton in the Late 1960’s.

I would say no earlier than 1968 she arrived in Stronsay and sailed back South the same Year.

Came back North around 1970 and remained in Stronsay for a year or two.

The family and the Boat went back south as the The Farm in Wiltshire needed some help.

The Ship came back to Orkney when Hugh sold Huip and bought Woodwick house.

He lived in Orkney after I left in 1980.
Can’t remember when she was half wrecked in a Storm while anchored in Woodwick Bay which was quite shallow.

She was sold to someone who could afford to repair the boat.

Hugh and Jill moved to either Caithness or Sutherland he was almost completely deaf the last time I had contact with him.

I believe a simple Google search reveals the Ship is now in the Med or was last time I searched.

Sailed on the Little Hen any times as Jill called it.

Had a wonderful trip out from Kirkwall with Kieth Dennison on his dads boat gorgeous summer morning.

Was at Huip for seven years myself.

We bought her from Hugh and Jill circa 1974/5 and took her south to Norfolk. She had a black hull then. We sailed her around the east coast until we had to sell her on as we planned a family move to the Isle of Mull and knew we would have little time for pleasure sailing. Instead, we took on an estate and bought a boat to transport tourists around the little isles, for seabirds, wildlife trips. I wrote a book about our journeys and it sells on Amazon. Island Wife. I would love to know where Perty is now. My husband died last August and I can no longer ask him so many things, including questions about the Little Hen. However, I may be able to help with bits of info if anyone wants to contact me. I am so glad to have found this site. thank you.

I looked over her on the Dart in the 90,s she was in a fairly poor shape I saw her a few years later and she had been sold and extensive work done raising deck and looked really nice

My brother owns this boat. She is in Holland in dry dock, and facing a very uncertain future. She was bought by my brother and his wife as a lifetime joint project, but sadly we lost his wife last year, and the dream is over. They have spent a fortune over the years on her, but having children slowed them down a fair bit, and although near completion before Deb's illness, she remains in dry dock and my brother can't face resuming the project alone. I crewed her from Dartmouth to deliver the boat to them after they moved to Deb's home country to raise their kids. She is an absolute beauty. So was Debby.

Hello!
I plan to buy it and to make it navigable ...I would appreciatte any plans , photos or technical details about it ...
Thanks !
Codrin
[email protected]

www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIqWVmVhD0fSb9qvYLmzJA

i have bought the Pertelote and now I will start the rebuilt :)

It’s along time ago I worked for Hugh back then
Hugh had an aunt died way back and left him a share of a small fortune. Claimed not to be closly related to the very aristocracic Birley family
He decided he was wealthy enough to by this boat he chose the rig which he said was a form of Bermuda ketch
He was an ex navy I believe commissioned officer spent a good deal of time on landing craft he said fancied something a little quieter
Would have a petrol motor after having massive fires on two USBuilt landing craft Tobruk Italy and Normandy

Now I’m not sure if he bought a unfinished ship or damaged yacht but he spent around £20000 I believe on the refit full leather lounge in the bow end I believe a ford diesel motor amidships and aft sleeping galley on the port side I think toilet etc on stardoard I believe
Full nice subtle soft leather every down stairs the cabin was little low for taller people and one had to duck on the tack otherwise a very pleasant little ship
I sailed on it a good few times including tha massive scare passing the Green Holmes as he tried to tack in the tide
Thank God the engine started first turn were wer close enough the seals took to The water
I thought he said Moody yard in Southampton they must have refitted her as she was apparently built further south on the Dart
The Birley family were tenets of a church farm near Sparsholt College
Hugh was well connected to
That college

Pertelote was built in 1967 by R & W Clark of Cowes. The hull was designed by William Garden, and the interior layout to a significant extent by my father Hugh Birley, who owned her from then until he sold her in the late 1970’s. She had a 56 horsepower 4 cylinder Parsons diesel (essentially a marinised Ford) and a Bermudan ketch rig with two headsails. Dad sailed her up to Orkney via the West Coast, and later down to the Hamble again via the East Coast. She was kept on a mooring just off Papa Stronsay for a while, and we had many happy family trips on her, around Orkney and further afield, when we had Huip Farm on Stronsay.

Later Dad bought Woodwick House on the mainland of Orkney, and Perty was kept on a mooring in nearby Aikerness Bay, where one night she went ashore in a gale when her Sampson post snapped clean through. She was hauled off the rocks by the immensely powerful Kirkwall lifeboat, the 70-foot Grace Paterson Ritchie, and astonishingly the damage wasn’t as bad as might have been expected.

Latterly, after repairs had been completed, she was kept on a mooring in Stromness Harbour. Although Dad eventually decided she was a bit too precious for Orcadian waters and harbours, and replaced her with the much sturdier Hirta ll (previously the Foula ferry in Shetland) we missed her terribly when she was sold to Richard and Judy Fairbairn in I think about 1979.

I had the absolute pleasure of spending part of my summer sailing around the islands back in the 70's Was absolutely blissful. Had such fun, making memories with a wonderful family. Can remember it as if it were yesterday. So idyllic.

Hello. After hearing that a family called Birley lived at Woodwick, I decided to Google this (being a Birley in Orkney too). My family were originally from the Derbyshire area. Just wondered if there was any connection? Thank you. Gillian Birley.