Built By Stebbings of Burnham in 1951

1973 J Glanfield Herts  Brightlingsea

7, Tredydan Road,
Launceston,
Cornwall,
PL 15 8HY.
May 16th., 2007

Dear Mr. Woodhouse,

I bought V40, `Virtue Fidelis' 2 years ago and she is moored at Cargreen, on the Tamar a couple of miles above Saltash. That makes 2 Vertues sailing out of Plymouth, the other being `Serif'. I'd owned a Folkboat, 'Timoneer', for 18 years but read 'Vertue XXXV' too many times and we parted company. While `Virtue' will never skip along like a Folkboat, it's nice to leave Plymouth for Fowey and get there without becoming a submarine once past the Breakwater. 

The accommodation is excellent (with some recent alterations) and I like the ease with which her gear can be handled.

It's also a pleasure to own a boat that was Essex built and owned. Although I was brought up in London, we've been in Cornwall for years and my family were Maldoners. 
Grandmother Kemp lived in one of the seawall bungalows at Mill Beach until 1968 and we spent summers and many weekends there. Uncle John Kemp bought the smack `Polly' from the Pitts at Maldon in about 1958 and he later owned the beautiful coasting barge `Memory', whose gear went into 'Thalatta'. 
I spent happy days aboard these vessels and learnt a bit about taking a vessel away with the likes of Hervey Benham, Jim Lawrence and Hob Keeble, who was always ready to be patient with a silly 10 year old. 
Those days are long gone now but I look back on them with delight and `Virtue' is that little bit of Essex, particularly the marshland and creeks.

As you probably know, `Virtue Fidelis' was built by Stebbings at Burham and shown at the Festival of Britain in 1951. I have a picture of her on the South Bank in a cradle, in a position which must have been very near the pier outside the Festival Hall. She was bought by Captain Glanfield and stayed in his family until I bought her. 
She has been very well cared for and in spite of her age, makes scarcely a drop, even after a hard sail. I had her bought back from Brightlingsea by road as she was out of the water anyway and I believe that it was a difficult parting - I wasn't there.
Down here on the Tamar, there are few wooden boats, let alone ex-working boats, so we traditionalists are a fairly small group, although the rallies are well supported. A friend owns 'Black Cygnet', designed by Warrington -Smyth, the sister ship of 'Restive', written about by Hiscock, but I can only think of about a score of wooden yachts on the Tamar. There are certainly no working boats, apart from 'Shamrock' at Cotehele Quay, but she never seems to go anywhere, although she'd make a good little schoolship for local kids.
I hope this is of some interest. Maybe once we retire(!), we'll get up to the Rally, although it will be strange sailing in less than 10 fathoms of water. My email is bobkemp3@yahoo.co.uk. One day, I'll try emailing you directly, rather than through the Association.
If there's anything more you can tell me about V40, I'd be pleased to find out. I have a copy of the Book, which goes with the boat, so I'll note it down for any future owners.
But not for decades!
Yours sincerely,
14 161/1
Bob Kemp,