In 1940, Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour served as a refuge for Dutch and Belgian refugees fleeing the German invasion of their homelands. The Davis family, owners of a boatyard in Poole, operated the 60-passenger ferry Felicity, which they used to deliver food and blankets to the refugees and maintain a vital connection with the mainland.

Felicity was originally an open fishing boat, commonly employed for sprat fishing during the winter months and for carrying holidaymakers on bay excursions in the summer. At the end of May 1940, following a call from the Admiralty for all available boats, Mr. Davis and his brother Jimmy took Felicity and another vessel, the Island Queen, to Dover. There, naval crews assumed control of the boats. The Davis brothers remained at Brownsea Island to continue their support efforts.

News of the vessels was scarce until press reports detailed the evacuation at Dunkirk. Eventually, Felicity was returned to the Davis family, requiring thorough cleaning but otherwise undamaged. The Island Queen was never recovered and was believed to have been bombed during the conflict. Despite the loss, the family took pride in the contribution both vessels made during the war.

After the war, Felicity was sold and later renamed Wight Rose. Under this name, she was operated by Sean Crane, who ran a passenger service in the Solent. In 1991, following a serious fire, the vessel was declared a total loss by insurers. Sean Crane enlisted Julian Aldridge, a skilled boatbuilder, to dismantle and burn the remains at his farm in Keyhaven. In exchange for this service, ownership of the remains was transferred to Aldridge.

Over the subsequent years, Felicity was meticulously rebuilt using traditional materials and techniques. Two 28-foot pitch-pine beams, each weighing over one and a half tons and sourced from a demolished cotton mill in Lancashire, were re-sawn into planking. Locally grown oak was used to create new steamed timbers. The vessel was relaunched in June 1998, marking her 70th year.

Having concluded her commercial service, Felicity was fitted with a cabin designed to provide shelter while maintaining an open-plan layout with large cockpits fore and aft. The design remains true to the vessel’s original period, allowing her to carry numerous passengers on day trips, with the option for comfortable overnight accommodation.