Freshfields Holidays 1983

[webntweb]

Ha'penny Bridge, Lechlade - wild mooring beyond

[webntweb]

Topping up water at Radcot Lock

[webntweb]

Swinford Toll Bridge

[webntweb]

Kings Lock just above Oxford

[webntweb]

Godstow bridge - bit of a tight fit

[webntweb]

Port Meadow, Oxford

[webntweb]

Osney Bridge, Oxford. Very similar to Beccles Old Road, and a similar clearance as well

[webntweb]

Folly Bridge, Oxford - Downstream navigation arch.

[webntweb]

Kings Arms, Sandford - front of our boat just visible on the left of pic.

[webntweb]

Leaving Benson Lock

[webntweb]

And finally, approaching Richardson's boat yard at Wallingford from downstream.

[Captain]

Brilliant photos, I am definitely encouraged to give that area ago again in the future. To keep it on a Broads theme your boat is still on hire as Coral Horizon in a similar colour scheme all be it refurbished as a 2 berth only at Stalham. Caversham boat services are also worth a look based on an island with 70s and 80s built boat they are many ways similar to Hearts cruisers in the 90s unfortunately without the prices. They have an ex Brister Yare Moonlight Aquafibre Pearl 38 and a Greenway Bourne 35. An old fashioned fleet however they have invested in the latest electric toilets.

Neil

[BroadAmbition]

Great photos. Thanks for sharing 

Griff 

[webntweb]

1 hour ago, Captain said:

Brilliant photos, I am definitely encouraged to give that area ago again in the future. To keep it on a Broads theme your boat is still on hire as Coral Horizon in a similar colour scheme all be it refurbished as a 2 berth only at Stalham.

I've often wondered if it was the same boat. It was "Maid of Chertsey" whereas Craig's database has Coral Horizon as previously "Maid Clarissa".

I suppose it could have changed names more than once before coming to the Broads.

One possible way of discovering if it is the same boat is if you looked at it close up you could make out the name of the original owners "Turks" in large letters under the paint on the angled part of the roof. Perhaps one of the forum members who moors at Richardson's could have a look sometime?

[andyg]

I always thought coral horizon was the old ex royall tango. Well there you go, thanks for the info 👍

[Captain]

Interesting definitely ex Thames not Royals as it was reregistered on arrival on the Broads, similar colour scheme, probably dates from about 1980 if it's a Turks boat as it was an early Bounty 28, I will have to investigate further to confirm when possible. I don't believe there were too many on the Thames. Richardsons bought the fleets of Maid boats so a rename is possible or I could be completely wrong  about which Maid it was!

Neil

[RS2021]

6 hours ago, webntweb said:

And finally, approaching Richardson's boat yard at Wallingford from downstream.

Most Thames yards which closed became very expensive riverside apartments. I believe this yard became Oxford University Boat Club.

[Dan]

4 hours ago, webntweb said:

I've often wondered if it was the same boat. It was "Maid of Chertsey" whereas Craig's database has Coral Horizon as previously "Maid Clarissa".

I suppose it could have changed names more than once before coming to the Broads.

One possible way of discovering if it is the same boat is if you looked at it close up you could make out the name of the original owners "Turks" in large letters under the paint on the angled part of the roof. Perhaps one of the forum members who moors at Richardson's could have a look sometime?

It is the same boat....

The Wallingford fleet was renamed after the Richardsons takeover (Maid Boats to Maidline Cruisers for 1992, and Benson & Thames Ditton bases became Benson Pleasurecraft & Ferryline Cruisers for the same year) and the fleet took on Maid of (insert place name) rather than the former girls names under Maid Boats.

For the 1998 season (or thereabouts) the Wallingford fleet were all renamed to girls names again, and this one became Maid Clarissa.

As said, she came originally from Turks and was built for 1980 I think, and was a bit unusual then in having two rear singles rather than the rear double layout (which she actually now has).

Dan

[webntweb]

55 minutes ago, Dan said:

It is the same boat....

The Wallingford fleet was renamed after the Richardsons takeover (Maid Boats to Maidline Cruisers for 1992, and Benson & Thames Ditton bases became Benson Pleasurecraft & Ferryline Cruisers for the same year) and the fleet took on Maid of (insert place name) rather than the former girls names under Maid Boats.

For the 1998 season (or thereabouts) the Wallingford fleet were all renamed to girls names again, and this one became Maid Clarissa.

As said, she came originally from Turks and was built for 1980 I think, and was a bit unusual then in having two rear singles rather than the rear double layout (which she actually now has).

Dan

I didn't remember her having twin berths in the rear cabin but she must have had, as when you came in the rear door there was a hand wash basin on your right behind the door - ideal for a quick hand wash after handling ropes at the locks.

[Broads01]

11 hours ago, andyg said:

Scratch that idea lol, just had a look on le boats web site, they are clearly marketing there boats at overseas visitors ( they must be ) damage wavier £203 per boat,ouch. Some of the add ons are laughable in my opion, upper deck cushion pack of 2 £12, why ? Final boat clean down £120 PER BOAT !!! Apparently this option allows you to enjoy your final evening afloat. Just bag your rubbish and go ( do ppl really fall for this ) etc etc. Le boat are definitely not for me lol....

Yes, Le Boat really take the mick, an all inclusive price it's certainly not. They've got worse since I hired from Benson in 2016 it seems. When I hired their in 2011, their fuel price was way over the top, so in 2016 I filled up elsewhere to save money. However now they've switched to the European way of charging by engine hours, so you can't fill up elsewhere and they can charge whatever they like.

[Broads01]

11 hours ago, RS2021 said:

Don't know what they are like, but Cotswold Boat Hire at Buscot Mill, near Lechlade have a handful of Broads style cruisers for hire if you want to do the upper Thames and don't want a narrow boat.

https://www.cotswoldboat.co.uk/boat-hire/

I hired from them back in 2002 on a boat they still have, "Avalon", a Bounty 34 centre cockpit. They were (and still are I think) a husband and wife team and at that time operating from the lawn of a riverside pub (The Trout Inn). We had a great trip though, being aboard 16 nights we went all the way to Teddington and back.

Looking at their website now I'm disappointed Avalon has an unchanged interior 19 years later and hence it's looking tired.

[Broads01]

9 hours ago, webntweb said:

And finally, approaching Richardson's boat yard at Wallingford from downstream.

Thanks for sharing all your photos, Roy. The Wallingford one takes me back to my teenage years when I went with my parents from there on our first Thames holiday. That was in the pre-Richardsons Maidboats days in 1985 and we were on Maid Florida, a 33 foot centre cockpit (Discovery 33?). When the cockpit roof was closed, entry and exit was by narrow central hatches (no stern door), the one on the port side being more or less blocked by the helm seat!

[Broads01]

Maid Florinda looked just like this externally https://www.donedeal.ie/boats-for-sale/banham-discovery-33-river-cruiser/28604095

[Broads01]

Another brochure from the Richardsons Thames era https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Horizon-Norfolk-Broads-Thames-boating-holiday-brochure-1993-/284409525400?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

[RS2021]

2 hours ago, Dan said:

As said, she came originally from Turks and was built for 1980 I think

From Hoseasons brochure 1981 - she appears as new in 1980 with an artists impression. 

Also the only other similar boat I can find on the Thames - new in 1990.