KATHLEEN J Kilbey I.Eng MRINA Marine Surveyor
Kathleen grew up in Southern England within a few miles of the Sussex Coast. Much of her childhood leisure time was spent “messing about in boats” in true Swallows and Amazons style around Chichester and Langstone Harbours. In fact she still subscribes to the Arthur Ransom philosophy to the effect that “if duffers – will drown; if not duffers – won’t drown” and is on a fairly short fuse as far as what she sees as “interference in commonsense-sailing by Nanny State” is concerned.
The first marine survey and engineering project was undertaken at age 14, with the acquisition of a timber and canvas canoe kit. This project was followed by her first all timber sailing boat, a National 12’ dinghy, clinker built of Honduras Mahogany on oak frames and still with its original cotton sails. This dinghy provided the first of Kathleen’s many wooden-boat rebuild projects and was subsequently cruised as far as Lymington on one occasion – quite an adventure for those days.
Following the dinghy experiences mentioned above, Kathleen’s sailing credentials in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s included South Coast cruising in a Deben 4 Tonner, Hillyards, ranging from a pretty little 2 ½ Tonner to a 12 ton Gaff Ketch built in 1930 and numerous cross channel cruises and races in various Nicholsons and Buchanans.
On leaving Grammar School in Sussex, Kathleen attended Guildford Technical College and completed an HNC in Mechanical Engineering, before qualifying as a Technical Lecturer at London University’s Garnett College. She subsequently lectured in Maths and Engineering Science at various technical Colleges, prior to completing a course in Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture in Sunderland.
A career move to offshore/marine Engineering Consultancy work and a stint overseas, first with Mobil Oil International Inc, then Ocean Systems Inc. and finally Mannai Corporation, followed. By this stage, however, corporate life with its “Club-Class and Hilton-Hotel” travel syndrome had definitely palled.
In 1984 Kathleen turned her back on big-company life to commence a new fulltime career as a Classic-Yacht Charter owner and Skipper. “Oiled teak and Flying Spray” – come and get wet cold and uncomfortable on our vintage Buchanan 11-tonner cruiser-racer, ran the adverts! At the time, Kathleen used to tell her (paying, but sometimes very motley) crews that there was no chance of their being seasick – they would be too busy and terrified even to think of it.!
During the 1980’s there was relatively little interest in wooden yachts and many of the “Classics” of today were lying in creeks and harbours along the south coast being used as chicken coops or houseboats;
Of the “J class” and large racing yachts, “Endeavour” was on the Medina, “Bloodhound” in Poole, “Lulworth” on the Hamble - whilst “Velsheda”, with rusty holes visible in her topsides and a somewhat ragged rig, was to be seen sailing about the Solent, crewed (so it was said) by delinquents released on licence for the purpose, because no-one else had the desperation or stamina to hand-hoist her sails up 200 ft or so of mast. (see pictures in our gallery).
During the 1980’s Kathleen became a full member of RORC (having skippered her timber Buchanan 38 in the 1989 Fastnet Race) and she also qualified as an RYA Yachtmaster, previously having passed her Coastal Skipper exam in the early 1970’s Subsequently a Motor and Sail I.C.C. was added to her sailing “official paperwork” in 1992 .
Kathleen is on record as saying in the early 1980’s, that “in 15 years time people will be spending millions restoring these classic boats” and it was this instinct that motivated her despite the massive additional expense, to maintain her own Buchanan 38 to Lloyds +100A1 category – until other commitments dictated a sale of the vessel in the late 1990’s.
It was during the mid ’80’s that, having regard to the fate of the wonderful old boats mentioned above, she decided to combine her marine engineering skills and her experience of wooden boats and become a full time Marine Surveyor.
In 1989 Kathleen set up her own independent Marine Surveying Practice focussing on timber sailing and motor yachts, but also providing a full yacht surveying and inspection service for owners and purchasers of modern vessels, based on the Uk south coast.
During her long career as a Marine Surveyor Kathleen has had as mentors a number of senior yacht surveyors, especially George Reohorn of BurryPort one of the longest-serving specialist wooden boat surveyors in the UK. In 1990 she qualified as an Associate Member of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, sponsored by none other than Alan H Buchanan FRINA.
Kathleen has recently (2009) been elected a full member (MRINA) and is currently undertaking the Lloyds Diploma in Small craft Surveying in order to update and enhance her expertise especially with regard to the plethora of requirements resulting from the European Recreational Craft Directive (RCD).
Currently Kathleen Kilbey & Associates are involved in a research project to develop a “Zero-Point Energy” device based on the 19th and early 20th century work of the electrical genius Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). She believes that this technology will form the basis of freeing humankind from dependence on hydrocarbon based energy systems.
In 2010 Kathleen Kilbey & Associates also formed a joint-venture partnership with AceWater Systems Uk to market their recently developed Atmospheric Drinking-Water generators to the marine industry.(please see the Ace Water page on this site).
Kathleen shares her house with her Black Labrador Ben and lives in the Welsh Marches close to the M5, for rapid access to UK boating areas and airports.
Kathleen Kilbey & Associates Naval Architects and Marine Surveyors 16 Gibson Road, Ledbury HR8 2US United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 845 680 1989 Cellphone: +44 (0)7799 686 979 Fax: +44 (0)700 580 1821 skype: kathleenkilbey email: info@classicboatsurveys.com
