Riis 1

"Riis 1" formerly "White Heather" 1920-1940 and "HMS Manatee" 1940-1947. "White Heather" was designed by WG McBride and built in 1920 at the McGruer & Co. yard. Ltd. from Clynder, Scotland. In her early years she was mainly used as a pleasure boat on the Scottish Western Isles during the summer season. At this stage "White Heather" was given to Anna Johnson, daughter of a Scottish shipping line owner, as a present for her 21st birthday. She was also used as a tender for the family's racing yacht during this period. With a crew of three full-time hands, she towed the yacht from regatta to regatta. An idyllic way to spend a summer, but with no knowledge of what would follow.

In the early 1940's, "White Heather" was on the list of ships suitable for war duties. At the outbreak of hostilities, plans were made to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force with 'Operation Dynamo'. White Heather joined the many hundreds of small craft to assist in the evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk, with the main task of transferring soldiers from the beaches to the larger warships and steamships sent to assist.

"White Heather" had a mechanical problem and was abandoned, but was made operational again by the soldiers themselves and returned home. Shortly afterwards she took part with other small craft in the rescue of other regiments from Saint Valery sur Somme who had been driven back to the coast after fierce fighting. This was "Operation Aerial" and took place 15-25 June 1940.

After White Heather's return to Dover, she was formally requisitioned by The Royal Navy and renamed "HMS Manatee". She served throughout the war to complete a variety of duties, including covert patrol and communications activities, before being taken back into private ownership in 1947. She was subsequently sold and renamed "Riis 1".

She had several owners until she found in 1960 by Dr. JWE Fellows in Conyer Creek. He carried out its restoration and maintenance until his death in 1999. Current owners, Alan & Ann Jackson, took over and continued to take care of "Riis 1" in the same home port of West Mersea Essex. She is an active member of "The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships" and has sailed extensively with Alan & Ann in the English Channel from the Channel Islands and ports of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and ports in the Baltic Sea, including parts of Denmark and Sweden .

At the end of May 2020, "Riis 1" will commemorate the 80th anniversary of "Operation Dynamo" in Dunkirk and this will be its 9th return with the Dunkirk Little Ships returning as a fleet to Dunkirk every 5 years. 'Riis 1' celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020 at the West Mersea Yacht Club in Essex. At the invitation of the WMYC, other Dunkirk ships also took part in her celebration.