Martham Boats Have Added Broadland Minstral To Their Hire Fleet

[Tyna]

[Broads01]

Thanks for that. It looks rather nice and an interesting departure from the woodies for Marthams. I've always thought the Elysian 27 to be an elegant classic, more so than the aft cockpit version for some reason.

https://www.marthamboats.com/hire/motor-cruisers/73-broadland-minstral

[Polly]

It looks like a nice boat

[JawsOrca]

I hope that's not a sign that they are moving away from the woodies :( 

[grendel]

I know a few years back they had got some of the hulls from their yard they were fixing up to use as moulds for new boats, not sure what happened further on that project though.

[Mouldy]

Hmmm.  There’ll be an awful lot of damage to the gel coat forcing that under the bridge when the river levels are high!

[Broads01]

3 hours ago, Mouldy said:

Hmmm.  There’ll be an awful lot of damage to the gel coat forcing that under the bridge when the river levels are high!

I was wondering about the bridge practicalities for this boat. I know they can get the woodies through with less than 6 foot but I'd have thought this would need 6 foot 3 or thereabouts?

[grendel]

there are worse places to be stuck the wrong side of a bridge.

[Mouldy]

5 minutes ago, grendel said:

there are worse places to be stuck the wrong side of a bridge.

Serious lack of cruising opportunities if you’re stuck there for a week!

[grendel]

well theres horsey mill, the pleasure boat at hickling and somerton, as well as potter heigham. and if you are feeling adventurous there is catfield dyke.

its a delightful area to cruise round

[Captain]

Interesting little boat, I have spent a long weekend under the Bridge and enjoyed every minute of it. Now that Bridge boatyard on the Fens have withdrawn Sunstar it will be the only centre steer Elysian 27 for hire in the UK. The only issue is that Bridge which isn't getting any better I wonder if it has been  modified to lower its air draft,  I would have  thought this would be one of the taller members of the fleet, not sure what Silver Jubilee needs. As an aside I spotted Silver Jubilee 2 at Windsor/Eton recently I always wondered where no 2 went as 1 and 3 are still on hire

Neil 

[trambo]

Great fan of both versions of the Elysian 27. This looks a super little boat and nicely renovated.

I'm lucky to have an old pilots Hoseason brochure that gives the air-draft for those craft that could get under. Sharmaine from Alan Jonson Boats and Dawn Mist from Dawncraft are shown as 6' 9". I may be wrong but does not (or had not) Potter Heigham an inch more than Wroxham, the problem being the profile of Potter's uneven arch?

The centre cockpit version first appeared for hire in 1967 with Dawn Mist 1-6 from Dawncraft and Sea Mist 1-6 from A. G Ward, both Jenners group yards and were marketed as 5 berth craft, which must have been a little intimate!

Fred

 

[LizG]

An interesting addition to the fleet. They must have thought about it before taking the boat on. Ideal for short lets above the bridge maybe?

Liz 

[Captain]

Fred I don't wish to doubt the brochure you have which I am sure is the bible for bridge heights required however if this boat needs 6 ft 9 it will be stuck Martham side for most of the season. Having seen many an Elysian/Bounty 27 go through at less than 6ft 6 I would have guessed 6ft 3 might be possible although happy to be proved wrong and to be honest they tend to be the aft cockpit version I have seen go under. Still I nicely fitted craft ideal for a short breaks. Not sure  about the davits at the stern though they could get in the way or cause issues at some moorings, perhaps they will be removed 

Neil

[trambo]

3 hours ago, Captain said:

Fred I don't wish to doubt the brochure you have which I am sure is the bible for bridge heights required however if this boat needs 6 ft 9 it will be stuck Martham side

Sorry I made a typo there. The air-draft quoted is 6' 8", which still makes your point valid Neil. The aft cockpit versions air-draft varies from class to class. From 6' 6'' to 6' 8", including Whispering Reeds Pompey. Hoseasons holiday hints handbook  for 1977 gives headroom at AHW of 6' 9" at centre dropping at 4' either side to 6'  and 6' 1".

Fred

 

[PCL023]

Our old MK1 aft cockpit Elysian 27, 13 years ago that we kept at Martham was good for 6’ on PH bridge, according to the BA indicator boards.  I would think there is not too much in between the centre and aft cockpit versions? I guess time will tell, remembering it will be the yard that takes it through.

Our current boat an Ocean 30 needs 6’4” at PH as per the pilots gauge, it’s tight but made it, (a very windy April 2015 after re launch at Martham), I would have thought given the extra beam and height of the O30, the centre cockpit Elysian would need less? 

Great to see a yard adding a boat like this,  a fantastic modernised example it is too. There still appears to be a hire market for this size of boat which are a little thin on the ground elsewhere at present, again time will tell, however the small injection of similar sized original built wooden boats at MBDC appears to be working well. 

Cheers 

Paul 

[andyg]

I'm sure they know what there doing putting this boat into the fleet. She looks very smart inside and kinda fits in with the traditional broads thing..but foe me she's a tad on the expensive side. A week in Sept 917 quid. Umm not so sure on that and that certainly won't last if it keeps getting stuck the wrong side of the bridge. 

[grendel]

Water Rail can get under wroxham bridge at 6 foot, but needs 6 foot 3 inches at potter because of the corners of the roof,

at least the pilot says she needs 6'3", i havent had a chance to test for myself yet.

[JanetAnne]

Broadland Minstrel was completely rebuilt in Martham's DIY shed by a chap called Peter who then used her for himself and his wife. That was about 10 years ago (I was there restoring Chloe Jane at the same time). If I remember correctly she was one of very few that had never been a hire boat!

When he had finished her he was having trouble getting the waterline straight so I fired a laser beam along her hull for him. Unfortunately his calculation was slightly out resulting in the waterline being perfectly straight but an inch too low all the way round and a constant stream of phone calls from people concerned she was sinking!

Peter made a lovely job of her and I would think she must still be one of the best out there. 

[Victoryv]

The plan is to cover the hull and top structure in wood effect sticky back plastic, should look spot on!

[BrundallNavy]

6ft showing around 2pm today. 

[JanetAnne]

4 hours ago, Victoryv said:

The plan is to cover the hull and top structure in wood effect sticky back plastic, should look spot on!

Very Jolly Ritchie!

2 hours ago, BrundallNavy said:

6ft showing around 2pm today. 

Did you buy much?

[TheQ]

I think 6ft 8inches for an Elysian CC is being generous, I've taken mine under Wroxham and potter at less than that..

The Elysian is quite narrow at about 9ft 6inches, that's narrower than some of Marthams other boats, which helps getting the cabin through the bridges.

[BrundallNavy]

2 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

Very Jolly Ritchie!

Did you buy much?

I’m £30 lighter and La Therms £30 richer.   

[JanetAnne]

22 minutes ago, BrundallNavy said:

I’m £30 lighter and La Therms £30 richer.   

I meant at the jumble.....