Built in East Anglia in the early nineteen thirties by a well known British boat builder, JW Brooke, and christened Sunny Morn, Tarbes II has survived for nearly a century in her original format as a luxury saloon launch. You can expect lashings of varnished mahogany, two cockpits, one forward with a large dining table and one aft with lloyd loom chairs and a comfy bench seat. Between the two there is a cosy cabin which seats six and offers an alternative area for picnics and aperitifs when the weather is less than clement. A galley with hob and a loo compartment provide comfort for the occasional night on board.

The forward cockpit is covered by a wooden canopy with drop down windows so guests are protected inside and out whatever the weather. The windows have the typical nineteen thirties mechanism as was found at the time on trains and cars with leather straps.

The current owner had the boat changed from a lumpy diesel engine to a silent 7kw inboard electric propulsion system specified and installed by Henley Technical Services with enough battery power for a full day on the river. She is now a joy to drive and on which to spend a day cruising. At the same time he commissioned Dennetts boatyard to paint and varnish the entire exterior and invoices are available.

As well as taking part in the film Boys in the Boat released in early 2024, Tarbes II has been used for charter for the past two seasons and is now a well recognised sight on the middle Thames. BSS and EA Thames licence current.