In early March 1977, shortly after work began on the designs of the G.R.P Vertue Mk II; design number 0718, Ken requested plans for a Vertue “preferably in steel.” The Partners maintained the position whereby they did not wish to prepare drawings for steel construction, instead they suggested that they supply the majority of the new drawings for design number 0718 plus a selection of the standard wooden version and that Ken’s builder use the wood construction plan and the lines for the new MkII version to build the steel yacht.
Dick Stower who was the Managing Director wrote to Ken at the time “I think that it would be a pity if you were to depart from the drawings, since by doing so, it would somewhat invalidate any claim that the boat may have to be a true Vertue. There is a very vigorous worldwide Vertue Owners Association and as the design has been changed a good many times, there is a good deal of tolerance as to what constitutes a Vertue but in every case, the boats have been built to Giles plans. To produce a boat which was not designed by us would, I think, be a pity for this reason.
Using steel would certainly add a lot of weight which could have a noticeable effect on the performance and stability of such a small yacht. Therefore the partners provided the lines plan and offset table with greater beam, and strongly recommended that the deck and deck works be constructed in timber and plywood rather than steel.