The History we have been Told

Like many older boats, Deux Poissons comes with her fair share of stories. Over the years we have been contacted by former owners, boating friends and people who remember her from yacht clubs and marinas where she once lived. While we cannot verify every detail, the stories are too good not to share.

One of the most enduring tales concerns her name. We have been told that Deux Poissons was purchased at the 1960 London Boat Show by a husband and wife whose surname was Fish (or possibly Fisher). According to the story, they named the boat "Deux Poissons" – French for "Two Fish" – as a playful reference to themselves.

We have also been told that the original owners commissioned a different interior layout from the standard arrangement used on this Feadship design. Rather than placing the galley within the main saloon, they chose to locate it in the aft accommodation area alongside the dinette. This created a much larger and more spacious saloon, separated from the cooking and dining area.

Several people have told us that this layout proved so popular that other buyers requested similar arrangements in their own boats. One version of the story even suggests that the Fish family received a small royalty payment whenever the design was copied.

Another tale concerns the famous Feadship badge mounted on the hull. We have been told that the original owners could not justify the additional expense at the time of her build. According to boating folklore, Van Lent and Feadship were so impressed by the finished boat that they presented the badge as a gift. Whether entirely true or not, the badge remains proudly displayed on Deux Poissons today.

Are these stories fact or folklore? We cannot say with certainty. But after more than sixty years of cruising, we like to think that every old boat deserves a few good legends.