Ex Broads Boat?

[Coryton]

I saw this on a trip to Bristol at the weekend.

I don't recall seeing anything quite like it on the Broads, but the canopy design looks quite Broads-y.

Does anyone know if this is an ex Broads boat? Just curious...

Not the best of photos, but it was a bit of a way away.

We were visiting the SS Great Britain, which is well worth seeing if you're in the area.

[marshman]

Its an old Elysian I guess but they were quite widespread I think - certainly used to be ( still are? ) some available for hire on the Fens. I holidayed on one years ago but I guess they are probably still around!!!!!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Just now, marshman said:

Its an old Elysian I guess but they were quite widespread I think - certainly used to be ( still are? ) some available for hire on the Fens. I holidayed on one years ago but I guess they are probably still around!!!!!

It looks to me like a Discovery 33.  Very similar to the Elysian 34, but i think without the aft access door, though not 100% on that. I believe they were built on the Fenland rivers by Banhams, and were widespread over many of the UK rivers. I remember a friends uncle had one on the Mudway just east of Hoo.

[Broads01]

I've seen the boat as I work in Central Bristol. It's not been there long and at some point I'll walk up close to it and try and get some clues. As Neil said it's a Discovery 33. My parents hired one from Maidboats on the Thames in 1985 when I was a teenager. It's true there's no stern door so when the roof is closed access is via a pair of narrow and awkward side hatches. Maidboats had a few of them but they're rare in comparison to the Elysian 34. The only one I remember for hire on the Broads was at Mistral Craft in Loddon who finished after the 1986 season. 

[Vaughan]

Elysians were built by Appleyard Lincoln of Ely, so they weren't specifically Broads boats. They weren't just river boats either.  The 27 is a semi-displacement hull which is just as good offshore as it is on inland waterways. With the right engine you get a very nice turn of speed. This versatility is why some designs become icons.

 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Elysians were built by Appleyard Lincoln of Ely, so they weren't specifically Broads boats. They weren't just river boats either.  The 27 is a semi-displacement hull which is just as good offshore as it is on inland waterways. With the right engine you get a very nice turn of speed. This versatility is why some designs become icons.

 

Hi Vaughan, 

Looking at a history site, at has a photo of an Elysian 27 seli planing on one of the inland rivers. I seem to remember reading on there that the Hull moulding was used on other models, one having twin engines and doing over 20 knots?.