Premier Houseboats are pleased to present White Dolphin. This is a unique opportunity, a boat of this quality and design is rarely available, and this particular boat has the benefit of spacious accomodation, together with the potential for some commercial use. There has been some recent maintenance which means the entire deck area has been refurbished, meaning that future maintenance needs will be limited, whilst ensuring that she is in very good order externally, and looks truly impressive.Built in Gravesend during the late 1980's with fitting out completed in the mid 1990's , the "White Dolphin'' is a half scale replica of what was probably the first ever royal yacht. The boat's builder was fascinated by the tale of how the Dutch presented Charles II with a sailing yacht in 1646 as a gift to mark his return from exile and re-accession to the throne. The original ship was of typical seventeenth century Dutch design but incorporated the clinker-built hull which their seafarers had seen on trips to England. She was not intended for passenger, cargo or warfare use having been built purely for pleasure-a totally new concept in an era when shipping played such an important role in trade and world dominance. Sailing, as a sport, did not exist in this country at that time but Charles II, raced his yacht agains the Duke of York in the Thames and soon became addicted to the pleasures of yachting. Fallowing the gift of the ''Mary'', Charles was given many other boats by the Dutch and these, together with craft built in this country specifically for pleasure use, began what is today a multi-million pound world-wide industry. Whilst the original ''jacht'' 'Mary' was wooden, the ''White Dolphin'' is of steel construction and fitted with teak decks. She is ''gaff rigged'' , as was the norm in the 1600's but has the advantage of being fitted with a modern 6 cylinder diesel engine. Below deck, she has very spacious accommodation with teak panelled walls and ceilings. Headroom throughout the boat is 6'6''. The accomodation includes a large saloon with comfortable seating that converts to three seperate berths, a fully fitted kitchen with gas hob, oven, microwave, fridge freezer, washing machine, wood burner and another single berth. There is a comfortable double cabin, a bathroom area with large shower, seperate toilet and basin area, and a large master cabin. There is also an Eberspacher warm air heating system. The entire boat is fully insulated.Many of the fittings and much of the wood used in fitting out white Dolphin have been recycled from historic boats and buildings. The teal deck will need caulking, and the exterior deck woodwork will need some maintenance. There may also be the opportunity to stay on the residential mooring in the beautiful Kent countryside subject to agreement with the mooring owners. There could also be some commercial opportunities with this boat. This is an amazing opportunity to own something unique, with all the interior comforts of a good sized houseboat, and the exterior character of a classic boat. |
