Elephant Boatyard | Traditional Boat Builder | Bespoke Yachts & Restorations

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 builders applying their expertise to these incredible projects.

The Elephant Boatyard is a family business with the passion, expertise and desire to build beautiful boats. If you have any projects you would like to discuss with us, no matter how big or small, please do give us a call on 02380 403268.

With a 2019 Classic Boat magazine award for Best Restoration (Carlotta) firmly under our belts, we are looking forward to another exciting year in 2020.

NIGEL IRENS 50FT KETCH CUSTOM BUILT YACHT

Nigel Irens is an inspirational designer whom we have known for many years. The Elephant has built numerous (65+) custom yachts since the 1960s and we were handpicked to undertake this incredible new-build project in April. The yacht has been built using the finest quality, sustainably-sourced timber creating a solidity of construction unrivalled by modern synthetic materials.

As the hull nears completion, it becomes as much a work of art as simply a wooden boat. A view from inside reveals its hidden architecture and the cathedral-like structure of its many frames. An impressive and robust design which will take its owner cruising from the Antarctic to the Amazon.

You may have already seen footage of us turning the boat outside the shed on our Instagram post. A nerve wracking moment for Matt and the team, to say the least! Everything went perfectly to plan, with 2 cranes poised either side gently rolling her over. Sighs of relief ensued and the boys are now cracking on with the final hull fairing before starting on the interior in the New Year.

DUBLIN BAY 21 FOOT HULL

The first Dublin Bay 21 Foot hull was completed in April, and was transported over to the Kilrush Boatyard in Ireland to have the original lead keel fitted along with deck, coachroof and mast. We were sad to see her go, but delighted to be commissioned for a second hull build which started in June.

Small (in comparison to the Nigel Irens build) but exquisitely formed, it has provided us with the ideal platform to train some of our apprentices / recently qualified boat builders. The majority of the work has been done by our in-house boatbuilder Tim Price, with help from master craftsman Glenn, newly qualified Clemence and apprentice Bradley.