The motor yacht Sundowner is a historic vessel moored in Ramsgate's Royal Harbour — one of the famous 'Little Ships' that participated in the Dunkirk evacuation of May–June 1940. These civilian vessels, summoned by the Admiralty to supplement the Royal Navy's own craft, ferried thousands of soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk to larger vessels offshore and to English ports including Ramsgate.
The Sundowner is preserved in its approximate wartime condition and is open for visits when moored at Ramsgate. The boat represents both the mythology and the reality of Dunkirk: it is small, cramped, underpowered for the open sea, and entirely unsuited to military operations — which is exactly what makes its participation in the evacuation remarkable. Check with the harbour office for current visiting arrangements, as the vessel occasionally participates in commemorations at Dunkirk.