About Shoestring

A little yacht with a lot of memories. Shoestring is a folkboat, designed in 1948 by Tord Suden. She was built in 1969 at the Elkboon ship yards in East Germany. She then travelled to London to be used at the London Boatshow at Earls Court on the Folkboat stand in 1970. She was bought direct from the show by two irish brothers, who worked as cobblers, and then aptly re-named Shoestring.

She spent the early 1970s crusing around Kilmore Quay in Ireland. Towards the end of the 70s she was sold to new owners and crossed the irish sea to the Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, where her story continues. She was briefly re-named Shaheen at the end of the1970s before returning to her origional name by 1982. She sunk after a refit in 1984 at Neyland and was rasied and relauched within a week.

Since launching this website in 2008 many past skippers, crew members, and people with fond memories of learning to sail on her have emailed in with stories of trips to the Scillys, Ireland or simply just family holidays around Pembrokeshire. -Everyone has commented on the leak in the roof by the forward hatch when it rains which is resistant to every repair.

Shoestring has left enduring memories to all that have been aboard her over the last forty years. We're proud to be sailing her and adding a small part to this history.