This Is Not 1945. The Nearer Boat Was Not Launched Until Spring, 1947!

A Memory of Southend-on-Sea.

The nearer "pleasure boat" is the “New Princess Maud” , launched Spring, 1947, designed by Dallimore of Burham, and built of Columbian pine planking on alternate grown and bent timbers; by Walter Cook & Son of the Hythe, Maldon in their “outside” boatshed. As a “War Loss Replacement [Dunkirk]” for Albert Brand and "Bill" Wilson, Joint-owners and Operators of the Southend Motor Navigation Co. Ltd. 60ft loa. Twin Lister 44hp diesel engines driving specially designed propellers from Brunton's of Colchester, through their own sterngear. Twin rudders were operated by Kelvin steering gear from a central helm position.The pleasure boat to the left of the picture is one of the 2 "Kylarks", but I cannot remember which one operated from that Beach Pitch.
The picture dates from between Summer 1947, and Summer, 1953, when all the landing-stage winches were removed during the civil engineering works undertaken to raise the Flood Defenses after the disastrous storm-surge floods. AFAIK, those winches were never re-emplaced, so this photo can be dated to that 6-yr. Time window. .

Many thanks for this information - I will pass the dating issue to the archive dept. Editor