He bought a WWII navy boat on eBay—for $9,000.” ⚓🛠️ Everyone thought it was headed for the scrapyard, until Simon Robbins stepped in. What he found was a forgotten D-Day veteran—and a mission that could take a decade. Full story and incredible before-and-after journey in the article below 👇
A man from Wales is giving new life to a piece of naval history. Simon Robbins has a unique hobby — he buys old, retired boats and restores them. His most recent purchase? A Harbour Defense Motor Launch that once served in the British Navy during World War II.
Simon found the boat on eBay and bought it for $9,140. These types of vessels are incredibly rare, and most are in terrible shape. Sadly, many end up being scrapped — and this one was headed for the same fate.
Restoring it won’t be easy. It’s expected to cost thousands of dollars and could take more than ten years to fully complete.
At first, Simon didn’t think his wife, Gemma, would approve of the idea. And she didn’t — at least, not right away. But after she read about the boat’s history, everything changed. Gemma said she felt deeply moved by the story and couldn’t help but feel sorry for the forgotten vessel.
The boat’s past is remarkable. In June 1944, it took part in Operation Neptune — part of the massive Normandy landings. After the war, it was sold to a customs agency, and in 1970, it was turned into a motor yacht. Since 2013, though, the boat had been left unused and was eventually decommissioned.
Now, Simon has a big plan. If all goes well, the boat will be transformed into a houseboat and used as a holiday home. He and Gemma are documenting the entire process and sharing videos of the restoration on their YouTube channel — showing just how much love and work goes into bringing a forgotten piece of history back to life.
Thanks for reading! Would you take on a restoration project like this? Or do you have a favorite story about rescuing something old and meaningful? Share your thoughts in the comments!
