14 August 2026

By Göran R Buckhorn
(photos provided by Laurie Alberts)

Putney Rowing Club, on the Connecticut River in Putney, Vermont, is selling the club’s 1870s Thames Skiff, restored by renown boat builder Graeme King, to raise funds for a new boathouse.

A message came to HTBS from Putney Rowing Club in Putney, Vermont, asking for help to put up some images of Theia Eirene, a Thames Skiff that is now for sale. The boat was built by E. Messum & Sons in Richmond, England, in the 1870s. Club member Graeme King, of then King Boatworks, beautifully restored and gave the skiff to the club in order to defray the cost of building a new boathouse.

“We suffered a four-year battle with Vermont’s Act 250 Committee, overseeing an anti-development legislation, before recently winning in court. They argued against us using ridiculous arguments such as that there was no need for a boathouse to be near the water,” Laurie Alberts tells HTBS.

“This battle cost us a great deal in legal fees and loss of purchased materials and time. We are a small club of approximately 40 members, and our boathouse is being built by member volunteers, so Graeme’s gift means a great deal to us.”

Laurie tells HTBS that the Theia Eirene is a Double Thames River Skiff, 26’ long (27’ including rudder), 4’ 7” at the beam, and comes with a 28’ long trailer.

“The boat has a bench seat with table, two in-line rowing seats, a seat in the bow and a stern seat behind the bench. The woods used are Honduran mahogany and English oak and they are joined by copper rivets. Graeme used two layers of 23 K Russian Restorer’s gold leaf for the extensive decorative gilding. The original fittings were silver (a sign that the boat was made for the wealthy, as every-day rental Thames River Skiffs used cheaper metal fittings) and the builder’s plate is solid silver,” Laurie says.

“It was warranted by Queen Victoria and is the Rolls Royce of Thames River Skiffs of its vintage. It is one of the best examples of this type of boat in existence,” Graeme King has stated.

The boat also includes four gold-tipped oars, a docking paddle with gaff, a sail on an insertable mast, and a steering rudder as well as the restorer’s notes, invoices, restoration process photos, and research relating to the boat.

The boat can be viewed at the Green Mountain Orchards in Putney, Vermont.

Price: $25,000 

For more information, please contact: Laurie Alberts at:
lasalberts – at – gmail – dot – com OR
putneyrowingclub – at – gmail – dot – com