This vessel was built in the Camper & Nicholson shipyards in Gosport (England) and was launched in 1899.
For 25 years it sailed under the ensign of the Royal Engineer Yacht Club. In 1936 the Royal Engineer Yacht Club sold ILEX and it appears to have been acquired by a Mr. Patterson, who used it as a base for selling insurance to US and British officers and soldiers posted in Spain. In 1971 ILEX was acquired by John Peter Moore, private secretary to Salvador Dallí. Before being registered in Spain it remained under the British flag in Gibraltar. Between 1972-73 it was converted into a ketch and the original deck and interior were change. It was normally moored in Cadaqués (Gerona), until 1989 when it was brought aground in Ampuria Brava and was completely abandoned. Mr. Moore then denounced Ampuria Brava in connection with the disappearance of a number of sculptures of Salvador Dalí that were contained in ILEX. Mr. Carlos Vilarrubí, in 1990, alerted Mr. Germán Ruíz of the situation. Negotiations were then established with Mr. Moore and Ampuria Brava to settle their differences and ILEX was finally acquired by Germán Ruíz in May 1991. A month later the vessel was loaded onto a truck and taken to the shipyards of Velayos brothers in Valencia where they undertook the most thankless work, that is, total disassembly of ILEX.

César and Juan Luis Velayos tried to organize an agreement between Germán Ruíz and the Valencia Shipwrights Guild to restore the hull, but Mr. Ruíz decide to take the vessel down, to Torrevieja (Alicante) to “Alifonsos”, his boat-builder friends. ILEX reached Torrevieja in December 1991. Ildefonso Rodríguez Ayala began repair of the hull, frames, beams, shelves and outside planking and finally installed an iroko deck. During this period, on the beach, a Yanmar 110 hp engine was fitted by Moto Náutica Ruso. This restoration process lasted up to August 1991, and in September 1994 the ILEX sailed up to Vatasa shipyards in Santa Pola (Alicante).
Once the vessel reached Vatasa yard, Germán Ruíz asked for help from his friend, Iñigo Echenique, a shipping engineer, for drawing all the necessary plans for the interior, deck, calculation of rigging and sail plan, as well as for any other technical problems that may arise. In the meantime, Germán Ruíz gathered all the necessary information from Camper & Nicholson and from the Rotal Engineer Yacht Club in order to have the vessel rebuilt as closely as possible to the original. The mast, boom, spar, point and topmast was entrusted to José Tárrega de San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia), the electrical installation to Pascual Lafuente and the sails to Vicente Sáez, in a classic coloured fabric (Egyptian cream) and with old-fashioned finishing, using his expertise acquired with the Master Buades. Vatasa gave all their best, placing the shipyard at the complete disposal of the owner and the engineer and assigning its best carpenter, to help in the task of restoring ILEX to its original form. In the interior only the bow was altered, to make a cabin in place of the seamen’s quarters and original galley. The iroko deck was replaced by a new teak deck and only fine woods were used in the rebuilding: teak for the deck and mahogany for the interior. The rigging was entrusted to two specialized British companies, T.S. Rigging and Classic Marine; the latter also supplied all the handles, lights, locks, inkwells, etc. together with Davey & Co. all pieces with a classic look. The whole process was completed thanks to all the professionals involved and the magnificent supervision by Salvador Ruíz and his good judgment throughout the restoration of ILEX.
In all, five years of dedication, devotion and research. At the end of May 1996, ILEX sailed again, just as if the hundred years since it was first launched had never gone by. The Royal Engineers Yacht Club named the owner of ILEX, German Ruíz, an Honorary Club Member, with the right to wear its pendant and attend the Club’s annual dinner.