The Jesse

The Jesse is a carvel-built, day boat. She is a gunter rigged sloop - sail number H4 - and was also known as Biddy. Many islanders learned to sail in her when they were cadets with the St Helier Yacht Club.

The Jesse in the workshop at the Maritime Museum undergoing restoration in 1998

LOA: 18 ft
LWL: 15 ft 3 ins
Beam: 6 ft 6 ins
Draft: 3ft 2 ins

Sail Area: 187 sq ft.

The Jesse was the first boat to be restored in the Maritime Museum. She was originally designed by AR Luke and was built in Hampshire on the River Hamble by the family firm, Luke & Co in 1913. This Hamble One Design is one of a pair in our collection, the other being the Florence. They were owned by Sir Jesse Boot and his wife, Florence, who donated them to the St Helier Yacht Club in 1924 where they were used in the teaching of sailing until the late 1940s when they were sold off into private ownership. In December 1996 Mrs Collette Crill of St Martin donated the Jesse, to the Jersey Heritage Trust in memory of her father Mr Arthur TM Riches and brother Robin de B. Riches.

The Fiona and the Jesse in St Helier Marina during the rededication ceremony, September 1999

Restoration took about two years but the bulk of the work was done between July 1997 until October 1997 and then again between December 1998 and May 1999. She was relaunched at a special rededication ceremony in September 1999.

The restoration project was supported by the following organisations: The Friends of the Maritime Museum, The Boots Company PLC, The Association of Jersey Charities and Jackson Yacht Services. A report on the dedication ceremony appears in the Friends Newsletter No 72.

Return to Patrimoine