HMY MARY, The First Royal Yacht, 1660

scratch built ship model, scale: 1:48

23 ½” long x 21" high x 5" wide, mounted on Hawthorn pedestals and then on a plinth of Applewood - Encased, the model measures 30 ½” long x 28” high x 13” wide.

Hull/Frames/Planking – Dark and Light Applewood, Carvings - Boxwood, Figures – Lilacwood - Blocks, Belaying pins, cleats - Lilac and Hawthorn - Masts and spars Degame

$375,000

A distinguishing characteristic of this unique model is that the portside is left open so we can see how a ship of this era was fitted out below, complete with miniature furniture, and accessories of the day. These details in combination with various figures dressed in the fashion of the period, make Lloyd’s model much more than a replica of the ship. They provide a unique insight into the lifestyle of this period in human history.

This original painting leading Dutch Marine Artist of the time, Willem van de Velde, the Younger set the stage for Lloyd’s incredible model of MARY. The painting above shows her in the sheltered anchorage of the Island of Texel, Holland getting ready to depart for England in 1660. Seen to the right in the painting is the Dutch warship KLEIN HOLLANDIA, from the Amsterdam Squadron commanded by Admiral De Ruyter. She has just fired a salute to MARY. King Charles II is aboard MARY and the crew is about to fire an answering salute to the assembled Dutch Fleet. The Van de Velde painting sold to a private collector at a Sotheby’s of London auction in 2017, for $1,015,017.

After a half century of model-building and carving in miniature, Lloyd McCaffery is selecting his projects with great care. He chose to spend two years researching and building this model because of her historical significance, her attractive appearance, and because excellent period source material was available guaranteeing the absolute accuracy of his final miniature re-creation.

Today there are an estimated 30 million boats used simply for pleasure around the world – supporting a robust $54 million industry. Many believe that this incredible legacy can be traced back to a single, small sailing vessel named simply MARY that King Charles II (1630-1685) christened as Britain’s first “Royal Yacht” in 1660. Throughout history most boats have been ‘purpose’ built to perform a particular function, from ferrying and fishing, to moving cargo or fighting. In the 17th century the Dutch began to build small, maneuverable, fast sailing boats, to chase smugglers and pirates. They called these boats “Jachts” or “Hunters.” These were also sent out to meet returning merchant ships after long passages. With little other purpose, sailors soon began to sail these boats simply for pleasure, which gave birth to the sport of Yachting as we know it today.

Enter Charles II, who reigned as King of Scotland from 1649 until Oliver Cromwell’s army defeated him at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651. Charles decamped to Europe, while Cromwell became “Lord Protector” of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Cromwell died in 1658, allowing Charles to return to reclaim the monarchy on his 30th birthday, May 29, 1660.

For the first leg of his return, the Dutch East India Company gave King Charles II passage from Breda to Delft, in one of their lavishly decorated “Jachts.” (shown in photo above). Charles was so smitten with the vessel that the Dutch decided to present him with one of his very own. This was both a tribute to him and perhaps a gesture to preclude future trade wars (no such luck, as the Dutch and English fought three wars between 1652 and 1784).

In 1660 a “Jacht” for Charles was already under construction in Holland, and soon was finished with decorations suitable for a King and presented to him. He made this the first English “Royal Yacht” - His Majesty’s Yacht (HMY) MARY. Charles eventually commissioned twenty yachts of British design and construction to be built during his lifetime. He enjoyed sailing these up and down the Thames, and many consider him to be the world’s first true “Yachtsman.” Charles’ brother James, the Duke of York, also caught the yachting bug, and together they are credited with holding the first “Regatta” in 1661, when they raced their two “yachts” against each other forty miles up the Thames River, giving birth to the term “The Sport of Kings.” By the early 18th century private individuals had begun building boats just for their own pleasure, and in 1720 the first “Yacht Club” was established in Cork, Ireland.

Once the new English-designed vessels were available, the Dutch-built HMY MARY no longer served as the primary Royal Yacht, but she continued to be used for transporting government officials between Dublin, Ireland and Holyhead, Wales (this ferry route is still used today). She was wrecked in the fog on the Skerries Islands off Ireland, on March 25, 1675. Only 39 of the 46 passengers and 28 crew survived. The shipwreck remained undiscovered until it was found almost 300 years later, in 1971. Since then, over 1,500 artifacts have been raised from her and conserved at the Liverpool City Museums Conservation Department, and the Merseyside Museums. Subsequent uncontrolled looting at the site resulted in passage of the Protections of Wrecks Act in 1974, legally protecting all shipwreck sites in British waters.