The Maid Marian

[Mike Noc]

In answer to Snowleopard, who posted in 2004 - better late than never!

Anyone seen 'Maid Marian', a 25ft prawner? She was built by Crossfields in 1908 as a yacht. We sold her in 1974 at Emsworth and the new owners restored her but we lost touch when we launched our new boat and sailed away. Any info or pictures would be welcome.

Am sure this is the same Maid Marian. She is afloat, moored on the Hamble and I have recently bought her.

The pictures don't do her justice, but are the best I have. Hope to take some shots of her under full sail in the coming year.

Mike

 

[JimC]

She looks like one of Crossfield's though the freeboard is more than on their Morecambe Bay prawners which are more often seen than their comparatively rare yachts. She could well have been built like this to give more headroom and a drier boat as net-handling wasn't a factor. Also some owners, in converting ex-working prawners to yachts, have added an extra plank to the topsides. My guess would be that she is as-built - lovely boat.

 

[snowleopard]

She could well be the same boat but if so has been extensively improved. In my day she had no bulwarks so looked much lower in the water. The box hatch in front of the main cabin would be a later addition as would the raised and curved cockpit coaming. In my day she carried a longer boom. I extended the bowsprit from a stumpy 4'6" to a more balanced 6-7'

 

[Mike Noc]

Do these photos of the hull help?

I know she was taken out of the water for quite a few years and had a lot of work done.

Snowleopard you are more than welcome aboard when you are back in the UK to have a good look around. Would be nice to know more of her history.

Mike

 

[Chris Barker]

I always wondered what had happened to Maid Marian.
She was built in 1908 as a private yacht by William Crossfield at Arnside in Morecambe Bay for Joe Twyerold, a family friend who lived in Morecambe and was the proprietor of the Star Restaurant, Queens Terrace. He was a keen amateur yachtsman and friends of many Morecambe fisherman and often sailed his yacht to Scottish Waters. In the 1920's my father as a teenager used to go out sailing with him off Morecambe and indeed it was Joe who taught my father to sail leading to his and then my lifetime love of sailing.
Maid Marion was moved to Windermere for a short time where Joe was considering buying a lakeside property, but without success. Interestingly there is a picture of Maid Marian in Ice on Windermere during the winter of 1929 in the book ' Arthur Ransome – Captain Flint's Trunk' showing Arthur Ransome's wife leaning on the bowsprit. Arthur Ransome was the author of the Swallows and Amazon Books.
Joe Twyerold died in August 1937 aged 66 and the boat would have been sold shortly afterwards.
The next mention I saw of Maid Marian was in Debretts Register of Yachts 1983 which gave details of Maid Marian as owned by an R Adnams, I Chamberhouse Mill Cottage, Thatcham, Newbury, Berks, based at Emsworth and there is also some mention on the internet of her attending the Old Gaffers Association Festival at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight in 2010.
Now my discovery of this forum entry brings up to date her history.
Although I live on the edge of Morecambe Bay myself and through my sailing contacts come into contact with a number of Morecambe Bay Prawner owners, I am also a member of a club on the Hamble and have made a note to have a walk round the Elephant Boatyard next time I am down to view Maid Marian and take a few pictures.
It's lovely to know where she now is.
Chris Barker
Knott End on Sea

 

[snowleopard]

Nice to hear about the old girl, now well into her second century. She is unusual in being 25 ft rather than the 35-40 ft of her working contemporaries. She is also unusual in still having that beautiful elliptical counter when many others have had theirs bobbed leaving them with a square-ended transom, presumably because of rot/damage rather than marina charges.

I haven't been to the Solent with time to look around for years but I'd love to see her if I get up that way.

 

[Mike Noc]

I always wondered what happened to Maid Marian......
Now my discovery of this forum entry brings up to date her history.
Although I live on the edge of Morecambe Bay myself and through my sailing contacts come into contact with a number of Morecambe Bay Prawner owners, I am also a member of a club on the Hamble and have made a note to have a walk round the Elephant Boatyard next time I am down to view Maid Marian and take a few pictures.
It's lovely to know where she now is.
Chris Barker
Knott End on Sea

Chris many thanks for the detailed information you have provided. She is currently out of the water with her winter covers on next to the slipway at the side of the Ferryboat Restaurant at the Elephant Boatyard.

We will be carrying out maintenance and some minor repair work, and hope to have her back in the water beginning of April.

If you or Snowleopard are visiting do PM me and I'll come down if I'm free and unlock the hatches so you can have a good look round.

Thanks again.

Mike

 

[Chris Barker]

Hi Mike

Thanks for your reply. I intend having a walk round to the Elephant Boat Yard when I am next at Hamble and I will certainly let you know when I will be there

Regards

Chris Barker

 

[boatcalisay]

for anyone interested in Morecambe bay prawners there is a facebook group with alot of photos on.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1007096352690801/

 

[Mike Noc]

Thanks for providing the link.