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The 1920s Gentleman’s Motor Yacht MARALIA (ex Prunella, ex Saudades) was designed by Higley Halliday in 1927, for F H Muirhead and built by Taylor & Bates at Chertsey. She was built as a yacht of teak carvel construction. Her designer, Higley Halliday praised her stating that “Prunella was his favourite design”, and that “she has proved herself very able during extensive cruising in all conditions around our coasts and her owner appears very satisfied with her performance.” Requisitioned in 1942 for war service she was modified during the war by addition of an auxiliary wing engine and a wheelhouse. We do not have any information about her war service, but some of the timbers in the forward cabin suggest that she had a gun mounted there.

Motor Yacht Maralia was designed for extended cruising and her interior layout is exceptional.The layout is almost as it was when she was built and we have copies of the original drawings of the layout. The addition of the wheelhouse (probably during the war) make the whole boat usable as living accommodation. The forward cabin is a double cabin (and used to have a bathroom – with a bath!), a large wheel house with chart table and access both side to the decks down to the salon, with the heads and galley, and aft a double ‘state-room’ with (most of) the original bunks. There is access to the aft deck from the rear state-room and from there to the large main deck and forward to the good sized front deck. The cabins are all light, with the main cabin having both port-holes and a large deck-light. The huge wheelhouse would encourage cruising come rain or shine and her accommodation below deck will make her an extremely usable yacht.

Length: 45 feet (13.72 metres); breadth (beam): 10.5 feet (3.12m); draught: 3.25 ft (.99m).

She is registered on the National Registered of Historic Ships.

Before we took possession of the Motor Yacht Maralia she had been used as a live-aboard for many years and had been neglected. Her engines are not in good condition, one being stripped down, and the other not tried – and probably not used for some time. We have spent time removing and putting into storage many of her internal woodwork and generally cleaning her, and making sure that she keeps dry.

Motor Yacht Maralia is for sale. She is on a mud mooring in north east Essex and can be viewed – and should be viewed! Why are we selling? Well, we have just had the opportunity to acquire a larger vessel – still in need of restoration and can’t do two boats!