Princess at Gosport Marina for historic junk ceremony

HRH THE PRINCESS ROYAL is to re-commission an unique historic yacht for charity work in a special ceremony at Haslar Marina, Gosport, on Tuesday, November 1.

The 40ft junk Boleh, a registered historic vessel, was built in Singapore by Royal Navy Commander Robin Kilroy and Malay shipwrights after World War Two and sailed to the UK in 1950.

Having fallen into a state of disrepair, she was restored in the 1980s and subsequently based in the Mediterranean. In 2008, she was acquired by Cmdr Kilroy’s family, who formed an apprentice school in Portsmouth to restore her once more, using Heritage Lottery funding.

Since 2015, Boleh has been operated by the Boleh Trust from Gosport to provide charitable sailing programmes, principally for disadvantaged children and the Armed Services.

During her visit to the yacht, The Princess Royal will meet Boleh patrons, trustees and volunteers and representatives from groups who use the vessel, including local schoolchildren.

She will then carry out a traditional bottle ceremony to dedicate the restored Boleh to her new life of charitable service followed by the unveiling of a plaque.

PICTURED: The historic junk under sail. Photograph taken from the Boleh Project archive