LODDON MARINE SERVICES

[trambo]

20 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

It would really be something if they tidy the yard right up, and even look into running a small, but immaculate fleet like Astons had.

Hi Neil, Spot on. Superb fleet both at Loddon and Beccles although it did take me a few years to forgive them when they painted the glorious all varnished Princess boats in their house livery!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I remember back in 1970 when we took the Orion back to the yard, the Aston Emerald was in, and she was a real beaty. In those days, she still had a varnished hull and cabin, but with light blue coachroof. She was a real stunner. Later, they painted the hull light blue, but it did`nt look right. Then there was the one off, Aston Drake. She was built i believe on an Elysian 34 hull, but with a custom timber top. She had a white hull, varnished cabin, and light blue coachroof, but that colour scheme seemed to look right. They did have quite a big fleet back in those days, and it grew even bigger with the Wizard class. There were a few individual ones, the Emerald and Drake, and also the 2 seamaster 27s, Aston Starlight and Sunlight, and they had one (i think?) Elysian 34 called Aston Admiral. I really enjoyed that holiday, as apart from a very wet holiday in a caravan just outside Tenby, it was the only holiday i had up till that point.

Come to think of it, between 1970, and 1993, all i ever had was boating holidays.Maybe i should have got out some more?.

[SueH]

Hello.  We are off tomorrow to Shadow.  One of our moorings for the week will be Loddon Staithe.  It will be very interesting to see what this area looks like now.

SueH

[trambo]

20 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

 Then there was the one off, Aston Drake. She was built i believe on an Elysian 34 hull, but with a custom timber top. She had a white hull, varnished cabin, and light blue coachroof, but that colour scheme seemed to look right.

 

Hi Neil .some great boats there. I always wondered about Drake and this is pure conjecture  as I have nothing to substantiate it. Drake and Emerald have very similar layouts and Drake was built at a time when fibreglass hulls were becoming the norm. She also has a white hull when Aston had already established their fleet livery. I just wonder if she was commissioned for the Princess fleet but then operated from the Aston yard? Just one of those thoughts you have when looking into your beer glass at the end of the day!

My favourite Aston was the aft cockpit Mayflower which had a really spacious layout for two. Attempted to hire  but they had already decided to dispose of her. The other thing I liked about Astons was that they used water heaters until very late on rather than relying on the engine. Great to wash up the full English!

Regards 

Fred

[JanetAnne]

On 20/01/2016 at 2:10 PM, ranworthbreeze said:

Hi Bill,

The number on the boat in the first picture is very difficult to read but from what I can see this appears to start with B4 rather than B5.

Regards

Alan

Well if its a 'B' then it has to be me!!! All my siblings had brand new numbers and were numbered with T. T81, T358, T359, T360, T361. We believe the first five were built together and I followed a year later which is why my number is out of sequence and either a re issue or an odd use up one.

 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

I saw the old Aston Orion for sale in a Thames boatyrd about 3 or more years back. She had been poorly converted, and was still called Orion. They were also asking stupid money for it.

[JanetAnne]

On 19/01/2016 at 9:08 PM, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

I did post on here some old photo`s of my first holiday on the Broads, in the Aston Yard. They had all the old Seamaster 28s lined up in front of the shop and office, and there were a few of the old Cairn and Lion class too. I`l try and dig back through the pages sometime, and post on here. 

Now there is a set of pictures we would love to see because Cairn is here with me!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Hi Janet Anne,

I`ve found my picture thread, but alas that photo is`nt there. It`s in my fathers attic, so i`l have to go up there and have a look through all the old photo`s.  I know i`ve got some photo`s in MY attic, but they are considerably later than 70, with many of the Wizard class in them.  Astons did keep a number of the old Aston Poppy class, and built some wood sidescreens and doors, with a pull over top, instead of the old car type canopy.  I`m not sure which one it was, but about 7 or 8 years back, we were moored in Upton, and one of them came in with another classic boat and moored for the night. The other boat as still moored in Loddon at Denny Waklins yard and called "Telscombe". Karen took a phot of the two boats moored at the head of the dyke, and it`s still our screen saver, but as i said, i`ve no idea which one it is.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

This is the one i was talking about, any idea which one it is?.

[jillR]

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=7977&BoatHistory=28181

[JanetAnne]

Yes, that's mine! The link Jill has posted takes you to an up to date picture of her back afloat after restoration. Could I trouble you for a copy of that one?

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

On 27/01/2016 at 11:52 PM, JanetAnne said:

Yes, that's mine! The link Jill has posted takes you to an up to date picture of her back afloat after restoration. Could I trouble you for a copy of that one?

Hi JA,   PM sent.

[JanetAnne]

Here she is at the end of 2012 finally getting her new screens.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

She looks absolutely amazing. I hope she does come back to the Broads in the near future.