It Is Our Greatest Of Pleasures To Welcome
Ship Happens Saving Sarinda ML1392
& Robin Family As Our Patron.
So you may ask yourself why we made this friendship what does Ship Happens and the Robin family have to do with mental health. Simon in the very early YouTube videos made the viewers aware that he suffers from Depression, wanting to be open with people he may not be smiling in all the videos but can still have a good joke. (am sure we can all relate to this but we may not be so open about our illness).
A little bit about the Robin Family.
Simon and Gemma are both hard-working parents to Emilia and Mason, Simon and Gemma both work full time in their own business building campervans “Creation Campers “
Based in and around Wrexham on the Welsh border. Simon and Gemma are not scared of hard work being on the boat restoring it every weekend and even the children help out as they're very keen to learn new things.
A bit of History behind Sarinda ML1392
SARINDA was built as ML 1392 by Berthon Boats, Lymington, and completed on 20 December 1943. Also part of the 149th ML Flotilla, she was a navigation leader at Gold Beach during the D-day landings in June 1944. On 6 March 1945, she captured a Biber-type German midget submarine off Breskens in the Scheldt estuary. After the war, she continued in service as the fast despatch boat FDB 73. In October 1947, she was transferred to HM Customs & Excise and renamed VALIANT. In about 1967, she was sold and became the motor yacht FROL-PEJO. By 1974, she had been renamed SARINDA. A total rebuild as a luxury motor yacht was started in 1979 and completed by a new owner after she was sold in 1987.
November 1995, base ported at Liverpool. 2013, the Sarinda was decommissioned. After this date, the boat was caught in a storm and was "decapitated"
What Happened Next?
January 2021 - it all happened one bedtime at the family home near Wrexham, when Simon, was scrolling through items for sale on the internet auction site.(EBay)
The listing for the 72 foot-long naval harbour defence launch ML1392 caught his eye.
He thought his wife would dismiss the idea, but she saw the history of the ship that served as a navigation marker during the D-Day Landings and even played a part in capturing a German submarine, she was very much onboard