FT How to Spend It – an article on the Elephant Boatyard by Simon de Burton

View the article here “Founded on the shores that saw the birth of Nelson’s famous flagship, this traditional boatmaker creates some of the most beautiful craft on the sea”.  Simon de Burton. Having heard about the Elephant Boatyard and our love of wooden boats – both new and old –  journalist Simon de Burton visited the […]

News from the Yard – Christmas 2019

Well what a year it has been! Walking into our shed is a sight to behold, with two traditional wooden boats in production – a Nigel Irens designed 50ft bespoke yacht and a Dublin Bay 21 Foot hull. We are doing what we love best and it’s hugely rewarding to see our team of skilled boat […]

Nigel Irens designed 50ft custom built yacht

We are currently in the process of building a Nigel Irens designed 50ft ketch made of traditional wood and epoxy construction. Nigel Irens is an inspirational designer whom we have worked with for many years and the Elephant Boatyard was handpicked to undertake this project. We are now approaching the completion of the hull build […]

Ed Burnett 35ft gaff cutter – hull for sale

We have the hull of an Ed Burnett 35ft Gaff Cutter available, with a part finished interior, which is the sister ship of Ivy Green (built here at the Elephant in 2003). Designed by the remarkable Ed Burnett, this long keeled classic yacht has good sea keeping qualities whilst being a fast and comfortable sailor.  […]

Dublin Bay 21 Foot hull

The build of the Dublin Bay 21 Foot hull, started here in the yard in November, is now complete. The team did a truly brilliant job and she left for the Kilrush Boatyard in Ireland last week.  It was a proud moment to see her finished, and a reminder of the very high standard of […]

Dublin Bay 21 Foot

Work on the Dublin Bay 21 Foot hull has continued apace, and we are now in the final stages of the build. Diagonal veneers of African mahogany have been laid over yellow cedar strip planking, an incredibly robust construction. All that remains is for her to be sheathed and sanded. Like with all hand crafted […]

Carlotta wins “Best Restoration of the Year” award

We were thrilled to find out that Carlotta – our resident 1899 Bristol Pilot Cutter – has won the 2019 Classic Boat Magazine Award for “Best Restoration of the Year” over 40ft. Having had considerable restoration work completed at the Abernethy & Gaudin Boatyard on Vancouver Island, Carlotta came to us with further work required […]

Our quest for the perfect topsides …

We will readily admit to being completely obsessed with achieving a perfect finish. Our experienced team spend hours repairing, sanding, filling and fairing any scratches or cracks before applying the first coat of paint. After carefully sanding again, and ensuring the hull is completely smooth, an additional layer goes on. The final coat is then painstakingly applied to create […]

2018 Highlights from the Yard

2018 has been a busy year here at the Elephant Boatyard, notable for the sheer diversity of projects we have undertaken. So a couple of snippets to share with you below, and a very Happy Christmas from us all. Dublin Bay 21 Foot – New Build We are delighted to have been selected to build a […]

2018 Hamble Classics

It was another glorious weekend of racing at the 3rd Hamble Classics at the Royal Southern Yacht Club with 75 classic yachts entered including Peggy Bawn, Thalia, Ivy Green and Thistle, all of whom reside here at the yard.  After Saturday’s racing, we hosted the now famous Elephant Boatyard Rum Party serving up hundreds of […]