The Peggy quiz, and myth or fact
Test yourself. Every answer comes with its source.
How to play. Pick an answer and the fact behind it appears, with a link to where it comes from. Without JavaScript, open “Show the answer” under each question.
Ten questions
1 Where was the Peggy built?
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Castletown. She was built locally in 1789, together with her own dock and boathouse. MNH statement of significance, 2021
2 What kind of rig does she have?
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Schooner. She began as a small working-boat shape with six oar holes, schooner rigged with a bowsprit. National Historic Ships UK
3 How many sliding keels did she have?
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Three. She had three sliding keels fitted through her keel, forerunners of the centreboard. National Historic Ships UK
4 Who invented the sliding keel?
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Captain (later Admiral) Shank. A 1791 letter from Quayle’s brother Thomas describes meeting the sliding keel’s inventor, Captain (later Admiral) Shank. National Historic Ships UK
5 Which lake did she visit in 1796?
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Windermere. In 1796 she went to a regatta on Lake Windermere and raced there. National Historic Ships UK
6 How long is she overall?
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26 feet 5 inches. She is 26 feet 5 inches long overall, with a beam of 7 feet 8 inches and an inside depth of 6 feet. castletown.org.im
7 How many small cannon does she carry today?
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Eight. She carries eight small cannon: six a foot long, three a side, and two slightly longer as stern chasers. National Historic Ships UK
8 When was she found in her walled-up cellar?
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1935. She was found in 1935 in a walled-up cellar in Castletown, where she had lain for more than 150 years. National Historic Ships UK
9 George Quayle sat in which parliament for 51 years?
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The House of Keys. He sat in the House of Keys, the Manx parliament’s elected house, for 51 years. National Historic Ships UK
10 When was she moved out for conservation?
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2015. In January 2015 she was lifted and taken to a dedicated conservation facility. Manx National Heritage, conservation
Myth or fact?
Eight statements. Some are true, some are myths.
1 The Peggy is the oldest surviving schooner in the world, according to Manx National Heritage.
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Fact. Manx National Heritage calls the Peggy the oldest surviving schooner in the world. MNH Q&A, 2022
2 Her sliding keels were never removed.
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Myth. The sliding keels were taken out in the 1802 renovation. National Historic Ships UK
3 She was taken overland to reach Windermere.
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Fact. To reach the lake she was taken overland from below Ulverston to Newby Bridge. MNH statement of significance, 2021
4 She was built as a warship for the Royal Navy.
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Myth. Quayle commissioned her for pleasure, with novel changes for speed. MNH statement of significance, 2021
5 Her original keel, with its three slots, still survives.
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Fact. Her present keel is a replacement, but the original, with its three slots, survives. National Historic Ships UK
6 Everyone agrees exactly when she was built.
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Myth. She was built locally in 1789, together with her own dock and boathouse. MNH statement of significance, 2021 In 1967 Dr Basil Greenhill, then Director of the National Maritime Museum, concluded that the surviving Peggy was the one built in 1791. National Historic Ships UK
7 She is about the size of the Bounty’s launch.
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Fact. She is about the size of the Bounty’s launch, in which Captain Bligh made his 4,000-mile voyage, but with much sleeker lines. castletown.org.im
8 She is back on show in Castletown today.
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Myth. In September 2025 the plans were put on hold after a funding bid failed. Manx.News, 2025
More to try
Raise and lower the sliding keels, or follow the 1796 voyage step by step. Then read the myths, checked.