Felicity Ann
Painting - Acrylic on Board
91.5 x 61 cm

In 1951/1952 Ann Davison became the first woman to sail alone in a yacht from England to America. This painting depicts Ann at the helm of her 23 foot sloop Felicity Ann during trials in Plymouth Sound before her epic voyage. Crew on the Laurent Giles L class yacht view her trim craft.

Details on Ann Davison's epic trip are covered in her novel My Ship Is So Small first published in 1956 by Peter Davies Ltd press. An earlier novel by Ann Davison titled Last Voyage describes the tragic earlier voyage of the yacht Reliance which Ann and her husband Frank sailed and which was lost on rocks at Portland Bill during a gale which claimed her husband's life.

In searching the Web in 2002 for details on the Felicity Ann I found reference to her in an Alaskan paper which mentioned that a Magistrate John Hutchins in Skagway Alaska had recently purchased the sloop and states in part ..."He found it in Moose Pass, where it had been lovingly rehabilitated over the years and hadn't been in water for 20 years. He said it was like it was waiting there for him."

An update in 2009 refers to the major restoration work which Hutchins is planning including a new keel and floor timbers, and the possibility of eventually donating the boat to a museum or university sailing program.

Specifications and details of Felicity Ann:

Length overall -23 feet
19 feet on waterline
Beam 7 ½ feet
Draught 4 ½ feet
4 ton Thames Measurement
Sails; Area 237 sq ft
Working sails all waterproofed and dyed blue
Engine 5 HP Coventry Victor Diesel
Designer and Builder Mashford Brothers - Cremyll Shipyard U.K. Construction commenced in 1939 but was delayed due to the War until 1949. Originally built under the name of Peter Piper but launched as Felicity Ann in September 1949. Bought by Ann Davison in 1952.

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