Ashley Butler Mayflower 50

Brokers Comments

MARTHA PRIMROSE has already proven herself with cruises to the Med and stern; fast, locker and spacious – perhaps defining the term Modern Classic with her carvel planking, long keel and effortless charm. Ashley Butler’s designs are inspired by the ergonomics, form and function of the historic working craft of the British Isles. The simplicity and seaworthiness of MARTHA PRIMROSE make her stand out – a deep water cruiser but the water doesn’t need to be blue!
 
 

Notes on the Mayflower 50

In 2012 Ashley Butler was to be found building two comparable yachts, one for himself and another for a client more or less in parallel, though no surprise that his client’s commission took priority when it came to meeting the completion date. By then Ashley, a versatile vessel builder had developed his design and building skills from a variety of sources of inspiration and vessel yard experiences.
He wanted to create a semi custom family cruising yacht, drawing particularly on the experience of his earlier LYRA, a beautiful evocation of the traditional Itchen Ferry design, which had won accolades from admirers – and among them the yachting press. On the stern of this achievement and inspired also by the success of the Hoek Truly Classic – yet modern yachts, Ashley developed the Mayflower 50 – and in defining the “50” he has also very deliberately opted for what many agree to be the optimum dimensions for a family cruising vessel.
The body design is the common feature – but the rig and inside arrangement can be customised as is already evidenced by the gaff yawl rig of MARTHA PRIMROSE, compared with the Bermudan cutter that is her sister BONAVENTURE OF SALCOMBE - also with a different general arrangement down below.

Construction

- Carvel Iroko planking - Oak frames- Douglas fir solid deck planking- Raw teak capping rail

Accommodation and Domestic Equipment

Accommodation for 7 in 3 compartment areas- Doghouse with space for seating both sides - Deep open storage outboard both sides- Half bulkfront forward seaport side- Chart desk and engine instruments stbd with storage under
Aft to seaport and step down to owner’s compartment - 2 x Opening seaports- Banquette and single dock outboard to seaport- Double dock to stbd- Stowage under and aft- Deck front beam
Moving forward through doghouse - 2 x Steps down to galley seaport side- Belfast sink forward with brass water tap and bronze hand pump taps - Vitrifrigo refigerator under- Joinery worktop to seaport and shelving, plate racks etc outboard and storage under- Force 10 3 Burner gasoline hob and oven set to aft bulkfront
Head compartment opposite to stbd- Large ceramic tank- Manual WC- Space for bath outboard
Doorway forward to Saloon with butterfly skybeam in deck front over- Straight bench settees to seaport and stbd- 2 x Pilot docks up and outboard- Demoundesk drop leaf desk seaport side - Morse cast iron compartment log fire by mast with storage behind for logs etc- Book cases on fwd bulkfronts- 2 x Oil lamps
Moving forward seaport side of mast- Workshop and storage to seaport - Seating and sail storage to stbd
Large foc’sle compartment forward- 2 x Single vee docks - Lockers for storage under - Deck front beam - Raised hatch in deck front to fore deck- Chain locker forward

Deck Layout Equipment and Ground Tackle

From aft- Painted cover boards- Bronze stanchions- Hand spliced bronze wire lifelines- Bronze fairleads seaport and stbd- Bronze mooring cleats either side of mizzen mast- Bronze main sheet horse just abaft tiller- All ash and bronze Colin Frake blocks- Varnished cockpit coamings- Varnished lazarette hatch under tiller aft end of cockpit- 4 x Lewmar 45 bronze winches on varnished timber - Bronze Kobelt engine controls- 2 x Bronze opening seaports in foot well- Brass compass binnacle- Deck house- Butterfly hatch over b