The Peggy: Call for return of historic boat to Castletown

Peggy was formerly housed in a harbour-side cellar which was regularly flooded by the tide

A 232-year-old yacht undergoing conservation work must be returned to its hometown, a former politician for the area has said.

Peggy is the only surviving vessel of its kind and one of the few remaining boats from the 18th Century.

Calling for the return of the schooner to Castletown, Tony Brown said there was "no enthusiasm" from Manx National Heritage (MNH) to do so.

MNH trustees said they were "totally committed" to returning the boat.

Built in 1789 for Captain George Quayle, who was an MHK for 51 years, the vessel remained hidden in a walled-up cellar following his death.

After being discovered it was given to the Manx Museum in 1941, and the site was opened as a Nautical Museum 10 years later, with the boat in situ.

The vessel was lifted out of the Nautical Museum in Castletown in 2015

The boat was lifted out for conservation in 2015 amid concerns over the ongoing corrosion of the structure by the incoming tides in the cellar.

The 26.5 foot (8.8 metre) long craft is currently being stored in a temperature controlled unit in Braddan.

A spokesman for MNH said a new home was "currently expected to be constructed in the Stable Yard" of the Nautical Museum site as part of the wider 'Quayle Legacy Project'.

Subject to funding, the building design would "provide the opportunity to display Peggy as if fully rigged", he added.

Mr Brown, who was MNH vice-chairman for five years while Speaker of the House of Keys, has accused the organisation of having "no proper plans" to return the vessel.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was "disappointing" that the boat's conservation had not been carried out in Castletown itself.

The island's parliament will debate the possible future of the vessel next week.