The Penola, of the British Graham Land Expedition (1934-1937) was a wooden, auxiliary, twin-screw. 3-masted topsail schooner, built in 1908 by Borne, at Kerify, France, as a fishing vessel. She had one or two owners before being purchased by Mr. John Rymill who saw her at St. Malo, just after she had been converted into a private yacht, with two propellers driven by two 50 hp. Junker diesel engines an instal¬lation of the yachtsman, and a handicap for Polar work. Previously she had been named Navaho, and Alcyon. Her dimensions were 106ft. x 24.1ft. x 11.6 ft. on a gross tonnage of 164. She was renamed Penola after the home in South Australia of Mr. John Rymill, leader of the Graham Land Expedition.
Before she was ready for sailing, the Penolas bows had to be strengthened, the hold cross-braced and the hull sheathed. Owing to lack of funds only the forward half of the ship was sheathed. The vessel carried a De Haviland Fox Moth plane for spotting purposes. She sailed from St. Katherine's Dock, London, on September 10, 1934 and arrived back at Falmouth on August 4, 1937. She was then acquired by the Northumberland Trust, and managed by W.E. Ruddick with London as her port of registry. SG G30