This site is dedicated to my grandfather, Jack Porter and the rest of the crew of the HMS Brinmaric.
The HMY Brinmaric was a wood over partial steel frame motor yacht that was converted to a minesweeper and used in the English Channel during World War II. Built in 1938, by Camper and Nicholson of Gossport, it had a gross tonnage of 106 tons. She was powered by two Gardiner Diesels with twin screws. Originally owned by Eric Fox of Fox's Glacier Mints, she was requisitioned for war service on the 7th of November 1939. The Brinmaric was used as a Harbor Defense Patrol Craft, as part of the Royal Navy Patrol Service based in Lowestoft, beginning in 1940 before becoming a minesweeper (mine recovery) in 1943. During the evacuation at Dunkirk the Brinmaric escorted the Poole fishing fleet across the Channel.
The Brinmaric also participated during the laying of the P.L.U.T.O. (Petroleum Line Under The Ocean) pipeline. She was equipped with state of the art electrical sounding equipment that surveyed the ocean floor.
The Brinmaric was one of the first ships into Le Havre France in 1944,according to my grandfather and verified by Mr. McCarron.
When the Brinmaric was de-commissioned at the end of the war all the navy gray paint had to be removed by heating iron boxes filled with charcoal. This was then placed on the paint to soften it. The paint was then scraped off to prevent scorching the wooden hull.
The Brinmaric was returned to Fox's in 1946, and it was taken to Norway by Mr. Fox on the 12th of June 1948 for an exhibition. In 1950 She was taken to Belfast for a Confectioners exhibition and was caught in a storm on the way back, but the Brinmaric suffered minor damage while a near by French trawler fleet was almost completely wrecked.
The name BRINMARIC, came from the first names of the Fox family members, BR-IN-MA-RIC (BRUCE,IAN(His brother) MAY (HIS MUM)AND ERIC). I was informed by Angela Sofianou the great grand daughter of Eric Fox, that all of the family water craft were named this.
I would be interested in hearing from anyone that served on, or had a family member on the Brinmaric.
I have been in contact with Richard Fox, the grandson of Eric Fox and will be posting new information and photos.
The Brinmaric is still afloat. The Brinmaric is a luxury yacht and now named the Princess Sophia: Superyacht Name: Motor Yacht PRINCESS SOPHIA Ex: 461 Brinmaric; Loraymo Iv; King Abdul Said; Donapila I; Gina-Maria - Built By: CAMPER & NICHOLSONS - Built in: Gosport, United Kingdom - Launched in: 1938 - Refitted in: 1996 - Length Overall: 30.3 metres / 99.4 feet - Waterline Length: 27.19 (89.2 ft)
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Site Updated
1 March 2025