PEOPLE interested in keeping an historic Scarborough pleasure steamer afloat can now buy a book detailing its history.

The owner of both the MV Coronia – and its sister ship The Regal Lady – needs to raise £130,000 to cover the cost of essential repairs which have been carried out to the vessel’s hull.

Tom Machin, who owns both vessels, said almost 700 copies of his book have already been sold and says it would make “an ideal Christmas present”.

He said: “Everybody who has bought it has said how much they have enjoyed it.”

Last year the Coronia, which helped evacuate more than 900 stranded British troops from the Dunkirk beaches, was prevented from sailing the 17 nautical miles to Whitby.

The British interpretation of EU regulations was imposed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) which insisted vintage pleasure cruisers should not travel more than 15 nautical miles from their port of departure.

Last month Mr Machin received a glimmer of hope when he was told by one of the region’s MEPs, Edward McMillan-Scott, that the EU safety laws actually stated that vessels were required to be 15 nautical miles from “a place of refuge”.

But his hopes were dashed when the MCA insisted it was sticking to the original ruling.

Mr Machin spent six months researching the history of the Coronia – and the book was published earlier this year.

The vessel was renamed HMS Watchful during the Second World War and was part of a flotilla of small boats which took part in the rescue of more than 300,000 troops pinned back on the Dunkirk beaches by German forces.

Colourful life of the 73-year-old vessel:

• Built in Great Yarmouth and named Brit in 1935;
• Carried holidaymakers to see seals along the North Sea coast off Norfolk for first five years;
• Renamed HM Tender Watchful after outbreak of Second World War and became base ship for the fleet;
• Carried supplies and ammunition to destroyers and had a gun turret fitted on the foredeck;
• On May 29 1940 rescued a reported 900 troops as part of the Dunkirk evacuation;
• Reverted to original name after war and once more operated as pleasure cruiser;
• Returned to Scarborough and renamed Yorkshire Lady and later Coronia II in 1951;
• Refitted in Scotland in 1975;
• Sailed to Gibraltar in 1985 giving trips around the bay;
• Bought by North Sea Leisure and travelled back to Scarborough in 1992.

From The Scarborough Evening News on Thursday, November 13, 2008.