The Martlet

Working boats in Bonne Nuit harbour about 1900. Martlet was based here for many years The Martlet is a carvel-built, two man fishing boat built with pine planking on elm frames. She has legs to keep her upright in drying harbours and a steel keel band to prevent wear on the wood keel when taking the ground.

LOA: 16.1ft
Keel: 14ft 10ins
Beam: 5ft 10ins
Draft: 1ft 11 ins

Engine: Brit type E10 built at Bridport, Dorset 1951. 10 hp, 4 stroke petrol. Magneto ignition, hand starting, 2 cylinders, 1100 RPM max speed.

The Martlet was given to the Jersey Heritage Trust in 1993 by Harold Carter. He had bought her in the late 1970s from Mr Hugh Llewellyn Place who had brought her to Bonne Nuit harbour from St Helier when he bought her in the late 1950s. These small vessels were not normally used by full-time fishermen but were often owned by farmers and growers and other part time fishermen who kept a small number of lobster/crab pots off the coastal rocks or else line fished within one mile of the shore to supplement the family table.

We do not know when she was built - but the strange doubling of ribs in the forward section in order to produce the hull shape may indicate the poor quality of wood available and this in turn may suggest a construction date of 1946-47. Mr Place's son believes that she was built Guernsey built.

The Britt engine designed for marine use is quiet and can run at very slow speeds - useful when towing fishing lines with feathered hooks for catching mackerel and snipe.

Martlet now lies at the top of the Old Harbour by the Steam Clock and is and is used as a guard boat for our sailing boats and is sometimes used for mackreling.

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