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Dan’s Boating Pages |
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Welcome to my website covering some of my interest in inland boats! |
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Hosted by horning.org.uk |
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Connoisseur |
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In 1979 Porter & Haylett of Wroxham launched their new “Connoisseur” cruiser range. This luxurious 37ft 6 berth cruiser was very successful and a variety of layouts were built. A 42ft 8 berth was launched soon after and the company expanded to have many bases in France and a brief spell on the Thames. The company today is owned by First Choice Holidays Group and the Wroxham site still builds for their European hirefleet including their other, Crown Blue Line & Emerald Star (Ireland) brands. |
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Around 1992 an update version of the earlier design was launched. At 40ft layouts were very similar, with a little more space in the rear cabins. The 45ft followed a year later to allow up to 8 berths to be offered. Known as the C40 & C45 and Commodore & Admiral for their French bases: |
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Towards the mid ‘90s the 42ft Continentale was built for their French bases. Such had been the success of then rival (Now owned by the same group of companies) Crown Blue Line’s Classique & Crusader models offering all fixed berths, dual steer and garden furniture on a spacious sundeck that the original 42ft hull mould was used, with a new superstructure design on top. |
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The following year a 4 berth version was launched, “Corvette”. I can only think times were getting even harder though as these were original 37ft craft which they had by this time a mass of. A new superstructure was created similar to the Continentale but that would fit over the existing cabin with new sections in places - such as where the sliding canopy would have been and fill in pieces where the original door was, albeit with new fitouts! This cobbled |
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superstructure can just be noticed in the above picture where the joins are quite visible! |
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The 29ft forward steer was introduced around 1983 as a luxury two berth. This had a fixed double aft with saloon with two armchairs forward, these were later replaced by a settee and were very luxurious two berths at the time. Design was based around the 37ft but without the forward cabin. |