SPEEDTRIPLE Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 Hi all, i found out today that Maffett Cruisers have already taken over another new addition to their fleet. When i spoke to John and Linda in June, they said they were seriously considering another new boat to increase their fleet to 5 boats. The new boatis a centre cockpit Alpha 42, and is one of the variants that has 4 sleeping cabins and the saloon in the centre cockpit. She will not be available for hire this year, as they are using the rest of this season and winter carrying out various improvements, such as removing the bath fitted instead of one of the bunks in the aft twin cabin and re-instating it as a twin/double cabin. She`s also going to have a new engine and running gear, and will be relined with soft fabric. She will have permanent berths for 9 people in 4 cabins, being 2 double, 1 twin-convertable double, and one en-suite family cabin fwd. They`re going to call her "Kestrel", and YES, i did take the opportunity of making the first booking, and have booked her for late June.next year. We`re booked in for the Autumn meet, and will be on Maffetts "Jay", so will be able to hopefully get some piccys, and post them up on the forum. Good news me thinks for hirers looking to stay on the southern rivers. Regards to all .......................... Neil. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockham Admiral Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Any ideas of pricing, Neil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trambo Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Hi Neil. Saw the Alpha at Johns and wondered if he was expanding. Err, the boatyard that is! She is the old Sabina Citation one that ended up at Ludham. Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted August 4, 2013 Author Share Posted August 4, 2013 Any ideas of pricing, Neil? Hi John, no, i`ve no idea what she`ll be priced at, but knowing John and Linda, it WILL be very competatively priced, and the price advertised when she goes on the website is AN ALL IN PRICE, WITHOUT all the usual add ons from many yards. Things like diver insurance, car parking, hair dryers, pets and pet life jackets etc etc. It`s really good to see them expanding their fleet, as with so many Southern yards having gone, it will be a very welcome addition. They did tell me they were considering the 35ft version, but as i said to them, at least with the bigger version, if can still be let to smaller parties, just like when Karen and i had Kingfisher which is a 4-6 berth and there was only the 2 of us.At least with the big version, if regulars such as us want to come with an increasing family, they now have that option of being able to all fit on one boat. Going back to the pricing issue, i would imagine she would compare favourably with Pacific cruisers "Pacific Imperial", as she`s roughly the same age, size and comparable layout?. Trambo, yes, you`re spot on with the Citation from Sabena, but when DRL operated her, the ripped out one of the sigle bunks in the aft cabin and put a bath in there. Go knows why, as it still had a single bunk beside the bath?????????. There`s another sister ship to her for sale at Norfolk boatsales, which is not in as good condition, but John and Linda are not interested in that one. Regards to all ..................... Neil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broads01 Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 This is good news. I'm pleased to read they're doing some work on the boat before letting it because it looked and sounded tired in the Sabena days, never mind the DRL ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 Hi Simon, yes, they`re definately putting in a lot of new stuff, but first on the more important mechanical side of things rather than cosmetic. That`s exactly what they did with Kingfisher (also ex DRL), and we had a trouble free holiday, except when some brain dead idiot filled the deisel tank with water that is (i can`t find the red faced smiley?)...................... Regards to all .......................... Neil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trambo Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 Wow Neil, I feel for you. Hirers nightmare. What did Karen say? Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkNog Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I think this is the boy? It was on hire when we took Fine Time out a couple of years back. I believe that the hirers reversed into the bank at Coltishall and did a fair bit of damage to the transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 Wow Neil, I feel for you. Hirers nightmare. What did Karen say? Fred Hi Fred, it was`nt Karen i was worried about. It was the rather embarrassing phone call i had to make to John and Linda back at the yard. Luckily, we did`nt have the engine running at the time, so no damage was done, and when we syphoned the water out, we took the boat back to their yard so it would give it a run, and the could check the fuel/water seperator, which turned out to have no water in it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 When we pick up Jay this weekend, i`m going to try and get some pictures of Kestrel and will post them on here. Baring in mind, she won`t have had any exterior re-furb work done, as they`re doing all the major mechanicals, gas and electrics first. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranworthbreeze Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Hi Neil,Looking forward to the pictures.Have a good trip.RegardsAlan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 Unfortunately, i could`nt get any pics Alan, as she was layed up in an inaccessible part of the yard, but the exterior looks to be in pretty good shape already, with possibly just a good scrub down and polish needed. However, when i did ask to look inside, John said he`d rather i wait until we pick her up next year,as she`s already had the floors taken up, and are probably in the throws of replacing them. He also said she`s got many areas where the lining is peeling off bulkheads, which is how she was sold, so baring in mind she was the best out of the 2, the one for sale through NYA must be pretty ropey.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranworthbreeze Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Thanks Neil,When I spoke with Linda last week thanking John for his attendance to Ranworth Breeze whilst she was at Loddon, she said it was early days yet but they are making progress.Lets hope for some pictures early next year.RegardsAlan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 It looks like the word is out on their new boat (Kestrel) as when i phoned Lynda today, regarding something i forgot to mention about Jay, i said i may have to change the booking for the following week, but she told me it`s already booked for that week, so get in quick folks, as it sounds like it`s going to be a popular boat. Since we hired Kingfisher in June, she`s been out every week since, the only exception being THIS week, but she`s booked up for the rest of the season. Obviously a wise and successful addition for their fleet. Regards to all ..................... Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 Any ideas of pricing, Neil? Hi John, when we were there on the weekend, i asked about the pricing, and the price Lynda told us for the week we`ve booked for next year in late June is VERY FAVOURABLE with comparative sized boats in other fleets, AND that price actually includes fuel, whereas virtually all the other fleets do not include fuel in their pricing. Yet another example of knowing the price you see is the ONLY price you pay, with NO add ons, a marketing policy i think EVERY yard should follow.. Regards to all ................... Neil. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnygeoff Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 hi Neil, Out of interest I looked at their 2013 pricing, and on their site it does state a fuel deposit is payable with final balance, swallow/merlin £50, jay £100, per week. Maybe this should be pointed out to them, as if the price includes fuel, prospective new hirers will not be aware that this is a mistake on the website. http://www.maffett-cruisers.com/Files/2013-PRICE-LIST.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 I`l have to look into that Geoffers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxwellian Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 I think that if you book direct you get the fuel. If you go through the agency you don't. Standing by to be corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnygeoff Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 possibly Maxwellian, but that was from their own site, and it didn't look like you could book online, but had to contact them direct. It was just something I picked out, and would not want a small yard to miss on customers, as I started my boating on the broads with Freshwater Cruisers, who unfortunately as a small hire fleet decided against it and dropped the fleet to concentrate on maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxwellian Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 They do advertise on waterwaysholidays.com If you search for kingfisher it comes up. I booked direct and got the fuel included. We went on Swallow this year, it is a lovely boat. We have booked two weeks on Kingfisher for next year. It is all Neil's fault (Speedtriple), We read his previous posts on Maffetts and Swallow and decided to give it ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 Can one of the site administrators have a check on this thread, as i`m sure there may be a post or two missing. I posted a reply to Maxwellian, and it seems to have gone missing, unless i pressed the wrong key and did`nt actually post it?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 Thanks Jhon. I`l have to concentrate a bit more when answering a post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxwellian Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Neil I'm still wondering what you were going to say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDTRIPLE Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 I`l have a bit more time in the week, that`s if i can remember?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnygeoff Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 AGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You forget things And sometimes repeat yourself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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