David Greenhalgh, son of the first owner of Shemdra, says that his father Robert had wanted to name her Seaquel, but Lloyds Register had other ideas and refused his application. So he devised Shemdra from his family’s names: SHE from Sheilagh; M for Margaret, his wife; D from David; R from Robert (himself) and A for another. The adjacent photo shows Shemdra's construction