Association of Dunkirk Little Ships

The Annual Veterans Cruise is one of the most important events in the ADLS calendar. Originally conceived as an opportunity to reunite participants in Operation Dynamo with the Little Ships, the event now includes Veterans from D-Day and other operations of WWII.

The Thames Traditional Boat Rally is, simply put, a huge 2-day display of the very finest-looking traditional boats one can see. It was the dream, back in 1977, of a few keen boaters. Most of these were members of the River Thames Society, others were members of the Inland Waterways Association or Thames boat clubs. Their idea was to encourage owners of traditional craft to cherish and restore them to all their former glory, as well as to continue to use them upon the river.

Names of ships derive from the strangest sources and are often changed when someone wants to make a vessel peculiarly his own. Quisisana's name has been unchanged since she was built by Thornycroft at Hampton-on-Thames in 1927. There is a district in Malta by that name which means "quiet place". Maybe Cecil Yates, her first owner, once served in Malta and wanted to be reminded of it. Being only 30ft. with a 2ft 6ins draft, Malta was certainly beyond her reach.