Sundowner

Sundowner is a wooden motor yacht in Ramsgate, England, now preserved as a museum ship measuring roughly 58 feet long and around 12 feet wide. On board are sleeping quarters and a small wheelhouse once used for extended trips at sea.

Originally built in 1912 as a steam pinnace for the Royal Navy, the vessel served the Admiralty during its early years. In 1940 it carried roughly 130 British soldiers from Dunkirk back to Ramsgate during Operation Dynamo.

The name comes from Australian slang for travelers or wanderers, chosen by Sylvia Lightoller because of her Australian roots. Today the wooden boat rests in Ramsgate as a reminder of the civilian craft that took part in the Dunkirk evacuation.

Major restoration work took place in 1986, when many of the outer planks and the wheelhouse were replaced. Visits are possible only at certain times because the vessel requires careful maintenance.

Charles Lightoller, the highest ranking officer to survive the Titanic in 1912, bought this boat in 1929 for forty pounds and converted it for private use. Years later he commanded it himself during the Dunkirk rescue and brought soldiers to safety.