Hannah Cunliffe - Historical Researcher & Maritime Consultant

Background:

Fred Shepherd was a yacht designer, born in Southampton on 8 June 1869.  Amongst other vessels, he designed Maybird - a gaff rigged, canoe stern ketch, built at Tyrrells yard in Arklow in 1937.

Fred Shepherd died in King's Somborne, Hampshire on 28 December 1969.  He was a member of RINA and is believed to have kept a diary of his design work, extracts from which were deposited at the National Maritime Museum by his nephew J H Nancarrow in 1976.

Wanted:

Any information on Fred Shepherd or his surviving relatives, including images of him.  Of particular interest is the whereabouts of his diary, whether it has survived and if it holds any information on the design and build of Maybird.