On 23rd August 1999 we bought our Norfolk Oyster from Charlie Ward in Morston who built them. She was delivered new on 5th October 1994 and was not used much by her first owner. Just a few outings in Blakeney Harbour with the outboard, that was all she was ever used for. So we got an as-new boat with unused, spanking new sails! The National Squib that I had raced wasn’t the right boat for a young family. We looked for something that was exciting to sail and yet safe for the kids. This Norfolk Oyster for sale probably is the best dayboat we could have found. Our daughters grew up with Molly and learnt to sail in her. On her break-back trailer, Molly travelled far and wide… we sailed her on Rutland Water, Morston/Blakeney (North Norfolk), Rivers Orwell and Stour (Suffolk), Lake Windermere (Cumbria), the Caledonian Canal (header image on Loch Ness – Sail Caledonia), Loosdrecht (The Netherlands), Carrick Roads (Cornwall). Molly is a fantastic dayboat for cruising and certainly is no slouch when racing. We get compliments on how beautiful she looks all the time.
“The Norfolk Oyster has ballast and bouyancy. Yet she is much quicker than a Drascombe Lugger, Dabber, a Cornish Coble, a Bass Boat, or a Cornish Shrimper. She gives a Devon Yawl a good run as she does a Hawk 20 on a broad reach when the Hawk doesn’t fly its kite.”
The Norfolk Oyster is a beautiful 17′ gunter-rigged (high-peaked gaff) centreboard dayboat (Charlie Ward took a mold from his original, John Leather designed, wooden Oyster). It has a GRP simulated clinker hull (with proper, sharp hull plank edges) and her simple but efficient rig ensures excellent performance under sail in light or strong winds. Her deep bow and ample freeboard make her immensely seaworthy. Her breathtaking weight of 1,500lb (675kg) helps; Charlie Ward used to build liferaft and his attention to detail shows everywhere. Both mainsail and jib have fixed reefing points (2 in mainsail, 1 in jib), so reducing sail is easily accomplished. Molly has -and is mostly sailed with- a genoa as well as the standard jib. Her high-peaked gaff means that her spars are short for ease of trailering and storing. The added benefits of the light weight and flexible gaff is that it tends to bow around the halyard attachment point when the wind gusts, automatically flattening the sail at the right time. Also, by tweaking the peak halyard, you can make very effective sail shape adjustments when changing point-of-sail, or during varying wind conditions. To flatten the sail in strong winds or to loosen the leach in light airs… Her separately moulded internal layout is uncluttered and roomy, allowing adults and accompanying children and/or dogs to be safe and comfortably seated without hampering the efficient sailing of the boat. A cambered lowered foredeck houses 2 large lockers which have separately moulded bins and watertight lids. Sealed compartments under the cambered side benches ensure that the boat is positively buoyant in the very unlikely event of her flooding (that’d would take some doing!). This complements the larch sole boards and wide teak capping over the centreboard case.
-
-
- Sturdy simulated clinker glass fibre hull (white with blue top strake)
- Hull and deck built to extremely high standards using the best quality isophthalic resins and gelcoats
- Clear gelcoat below waterline
- Moulded oar stowage in sole
- Wooden oars, white blades, varnished oar except the handle for better grip*
- Brass rowlock plates (installed into gunwales midship) and rowlocks*
- Hard wood protection below the water line for centre board case
- Built-in buoyancy (Charlie Ward used to build lifeboats)
- Two large watertight forward lockers (with provision for outboard engine stowage) with brass hinged GRP watertight lids
- Watertight aft locker with two TCL4 hatches*
- Spruce spars (mast/boom/gaff)
- Copper protection on mast for gaff jaws*
- Dacron mainsail with slab reefing and jib with reefing lines (both tan)
- Dacron genoa (cream)* 90% of our sailing is with full main and genny, 10% with reefed main and jib
- Snap shackles on jib tack and halyard for easy handling
- All running & standing rigging, best quality, stainless steel wire & pre-stretched polyester rope
- Manual bilge pump
- Custom made brass stem head fitting
- Custom made brass outboard motor bracket
- Custom made wooden infill for outboard bracket painted in deck colour*
- Three mooring cleats and fairleads, various fenders and hand bailer
- Teak rudder with lifting blade
- Primer and 2 coats anti-fouling (International uno red)*
- Pair of long oak tillers, one with a long plastic tiller extension*
- Galvanised centreboard with winch
- Brass bilge drain bung*
- Brass protection on aft deck edge and forward rubbing strakes in line with fairleads*
- Solid wood sole boards
- Sturdy teak seat over centreboard case
- Brass keel band protection for keel and bilge runners*
- Teak rubbing strakes
- Cove line on top strake (yellow)
- Outboard drain for seating and decks
- Galvanised tabernacle (easy mast lowering)
- Non slip surfaces on all deck surfaces
- Topping lift/lazy jacks for mainsail*
- Varnished hardwood boom gallows with brass storage clamps in forward locker*
- New mainsail 2022, original one included in the sale
- New mainsheet 2022
- New Seldén top and jamming block for main sheet in lieu of standard blocks 2022*
- Galvanised anchor fitted in teak chocks on foredeck
- 20m of 10mm anchor warp
- 3 chubby fenders with lines
- Grey internal boat cover for use when mast is stepped*
- Grey entire boat cover for use when mast is stepped i.e. Charlie Ward’s Exhibition cover (in need of some repair)*
- Mainsail/boom cover (canvas)*
- Comprehensive Owners Manual with detailed sketches covering rigging, sailing and maintenance
- Galvanised Bramber break-back road trailer, complete with winch, hitch lock, cable, sparewheel and lighting board*
- Full service (also trailer) and varnishing all woodwork at Neil Thompson Boats in 2021, anti-fouling (red) and small jobs in 2022, anti-fouling and small jobs in 2023*
-