About the SY Venetia on the Great Lakes in Canada
She was fitted out at Forrestts of Wivenhoe in 1903
Page created by Peter Hill
Paul Gockel in Canada is researching the Venetia, a steam yacht built in Leith (at Hawthorn’s yards) and subsequently fitted out at Wivenhoe. She ended up on on the Great Lakes in Canada.
According to Paul’s researches, and with help from Nick Butler’s book on Wivenhoe and other sources, she was designed by a native Wivenhovian, J.E.Wilkins and outfitted at Forrestt’s in Wivenhoe in 1903.
He hopes to be publishing a book about the vessel and her owner very soon. The manuscript presently runs to 255 pages.
Paul is an organist who made contact with Graham Wadley, organist here in Wivenhoe at St Mary’s, having found Graham’s e-mail address in the Wivenhoe Encyclopedia. This has resulted in them exchanging e-mails about organ music as well as Graham helping Paul with research on the Venetia.
Graham has got Lis Baines and Bill Ellis involved, both of whom have spent a considerable amount of time to provide information about the shipyard, drawing particularly on records stored in the Nottage Institute.
The picture shown on this page is of the SYVenetia taken in Toronto in the 30s or 40s. It belongs to the Bowling Green State University archives.
Note: This page is copied from the Wivenhoe Encyclopedia where it was first published in 2006.
For more about the SY Venetia, also see: click here and here about the crew of the Venetia who helped raise money after the Titanic disaster
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Paul Gockel completed his book about the first Venetia owned by F W Sykes 1903 to 1905. Unfortunately he failed to find a publisher. I am still in touch with Paul from time to time.
Note that this was the first of the two Venetias owned by Sykes and the link on this page refers to the second Venetia built in 1905 and not this one.
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