Streamlined and elegant, she may not look like today's luxury speed yachts, but when she was built in 1896 the Steel Steam Yacht SCUD was "the fastest of her size afloat". Built by John Samuel White Shipyard in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, SCUD was the well-appointed pleasure craft of known sportsman and yacht racer A.H.E. Wood, Esq. of Sudbourn Hall, Suffolk.
Designing for pure speed, White based SCUD's hull on the sleek lines of early torpedo boats of the Royal Navy, down to her ram shaped bow under the waterline. The ship measured 85ft. in length with a beam of 10ft., 6 in. and depth of 5ft. 10in. She had one propeller, powered by a 530 horsepower steam engine, the steam being generated in a Blechynden water tube boiler. She was noted for having J.S. White's patented turn-about steering system with double rudders.
This finely crafted builder's dockyard model of the SCUD was built at the same time as the ship itself, and is in outstanding condition and in its original case. The carved wood hull is laminated and with many silver plated fittings throughout. The life preservers bear the vessel's name and her membership in the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, one of England's premier racing clubs and home to the finest and most competitive vessels of the time.
Mounted on a face silvered mirror to give the illusion of a full view of the vessel, the addition of angled end mirrors allows the model to be viewed as if standing at stern or bow, to better to admire the ship's lines. A wood name plate bears her name, shipyard, designer and owner. This fine representation of the SCUD was surely the pride of her owner when he was not aboard the yacht itself.
The June 1896 "Steamships, AN ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL", reported on SCUD's steam trials at Stokes Bay: "(She) developed a speed of 20.25 knots an hour or 23.5 statute miles." "The pressure at the trials was 200lbs., not quite full pressure. The revolutions of the triple expansion engines were 428 per minute. She has very much the appearance of a second-class torpedo boat, so far as her deck arrangements are concerned, and her bow and stern are of naval fashion. At the bow she carries a powerful electric searchlight. She is beautifully fitted below. The saloon and stateroom are aft, fitted with the electric light, and upholstered in royal blue and golden yellow. The crew are berthed forward. Running at over 20 knots there was hardly any vibration. The vessel commanded a good deal of interest amongst the yachting fraternity in the Solent."
Wood wasn't known for long ownership of his yachts, preferring to trade up to the latest technology for improvements in speed. SCUD was sold in 1898 to W.C.S. Connall who in turn sold her in 1902 to His Highness Sir Waghji Ravaji, Thakur Sahib of Morvi, an Indian prince in what is today's State of Gujarat, India. Ravaji still owned her when SCUD was wrecked in 1909.
