Ashley Butler Mayflower 50 Bermudan Cutter 2013

Ashley Butler’s designs are inspired by the ergonomics, form and function of the historic working craft and Victorian racing yachts of the British Isles. Even on the most basic consideration of size, this hull form has already proven ideal for family cruising – perhaps defining the term Modern Classic with her carvel planking, long keel and effortless charm. BONAVENTURE was commissioned by a family who knew what they wanted and the boat’s interior is comfortably fitted out to optimise space below for long periods afloat. More recently BONAVENTURE's rig has been optimsed in the hands of an experienced east coast of England traditional sailor to make her handy in tighter waterways. BONAVENTURE is a very well thought out and proven family cruiser-racer with striking looks.

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 boat builder, had developed his design and building skills from a variety of sources of inspiration and boat 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 back of this achievement and inspired also by the rising success of modern classic yachts, Ashley developed the Mayflower 50 – and in defining the “50” he also very deliberately opted for what many agree to be the optimum size for a family cruising boat.

The hull design is the common feature – but the rig and interior arrangement can be customised as evidenced by the Bermudan cutter rig of BONAVENTURE OF SALCOMBE compared with the gaff yawl that is her sister MARTHA PRIMROSE - also with a different general arrangement down below.

BONAVENTURE featured in UK Channel 5's 'Britain by Boat' 2019 TV mini-series, taking broadcast journalist John Sergeant and former BBC newsreader Michael Buerk on a voyage from Lowestoft in Suffolk to Newlyn, Cornwall, and points between. Subsequently BONAVENTURE has returned to east coast waters in present ownership.

- Carvel 1½ in / 38 mm iroko planking
- Oak frames
- 2 x Oak timbers between frames
- Oak beam shelves and hanging knees
- Diagonally planked bulkheads for strength
- Teak laid deck deck
- Sprung 'locking' deck plank outboard of covering boards
- Well-type cockpit
- Varnished teak deck structures

SUMMARY
- Teak swept laid deck nibbed to covering boards
- White painted bulwark and covering boards
- Varnished iroko rail
- Bronze stanchions
- Varnished teak and iroko deck structures

FROM AFT
- Bronze fairleads port and starboard on taffrail
- Bronze ensign staff socket
- Stern light
- Bronze / teak stern mooring cleats port and starboard
- Original bronze main sheet horse just abaft tiller (redundant)
- All ash and bronze blocks
- Tiller steering; engraved bronze rudder head

COCKPIT
- Varnished mahogany cockpit coamings
- Raw teak capping
- Continuation of deck as fore and aft seating
- Well with teak laid sole
- Stainless steel mainsheet horse over tiller at aft coaming
- Varnished raised lazarette hatch under tiller aft
- Kobalt engine throttle controls
- 2 x Bronze Lewmar 46 winches on deck outboard
- 2 x Bronze Lewmar 46 winches on varnished pedestals outboard
- Bronze opening ports fwd in foot well port and starboard (to aft cabin)
- Bronze A&R style cleats on deck port and starboard
- Beta engine panel at forward cockpit bulkhead
- B&G repeater
- Jet thruster control

BRIDGE DECK
- Brass compass binnacle
- Raised varnished hatch with glazed side panels

DECKHOUSE
- Sheathed, painted roof
- Varnished teak sliding companionway hatch
- Varnished teak washboards
- Bronze mushroom vent
- 2 x Bronze opening ports forward

SIDE DECKS
- Bronze A&R style cleats on deck port and starboard
- Teak jib fairleads on bulwarks
- Bronze and teak sheeting/ mooring cleats port and starboard
- Bronze Panama mooring fairleads port and starboard

MID DECK
- 2 x Half butterfly hatches fwd of doghouse
- over galley to port and head to starboard
- Solar panel between
- Large butterfly skylight hatch over saloon
- bronze bar protection
- Chimney for cabin heater to starboard
- Bronze mushroom vent

MAST POSITION

FOREDECK
- Teak raised hatch with glazed side panels over forward cabin
- offset to port to allow bowsprit to retract
- Bowsprit bitts
- Traditional bronze electric anchor windlass with warping drum
- Fisherman 80 lb / 36 kg bower anchor stowed port bow outboard
- 200 ft / 60 m x ½ in chain via Panama fairlead
- Bowsprit

SUMMARY
Accommodation for 7 in 3 cabin areas
- English cherry carpentry
- White painted deckhead
- White painted vertical and diagonal T&G bulkheads
- White painted hull ceilings
- Stained oak cabin sole

DECKHOUSE
- Teak, iroko and English cherry carpentry
- Teak 5 x step companionway ladder down
- Corner seat against half bulkhead forward to port
- Short bench aft to starboard
- Large locker to port
- Chart table and navigation instruments forward to starboard
- Electrical panel to starboard
- Lockers under and aft
- Water and fuel gauges
- 2 x Bronze opening ports forward

AFT/ OWNER CABIN
Aft to port steps down and doorway
- Double berth to starboard with locker stowage under
- Step up to large single berth to port
- Stowage under and in double door locker aft
- Skylight and deck head light over
- 2 x Opening portlights into cockpit well sides
- Deckhead light
- 3 x Davey & Co brass/ frosted glass reading lights
- Cabin heater control (heating currently not in operation)

MOVING FORWARD FROM DECKHOUSE
- 2 x Steps down to lobby

GALLEY TO PORT
- Armitage Shanks Belfast sink forward
- Brass water tap and bronze hand pump taps
- Vitrifrigo fridge under
- Joinery worktop to port and shelving
- Plate racks etc outboard; locker stowage under
- Techimpex Top 4 gas hob grill and oven set to aft bulkhead
- Tiling behind
- Half bulkhead with turned grab post forward

WC/ BATHROOM COMPARTMENT TO STARBOARD
- Large ceramic basin set in worktop over locker forward
- Varnished wood fore and aft bath outboard w. shower and tap fittings
- Manual WC against aft bulkhead

DOORWAY FORWARD TO SALOON
- Butterfly skylight in deck head over
- Straight bench Chesterfield button back settee to port
- L-shaped Chesterfield button back settee to starboard
- 2 x Pilot berths up and outboard
- Fixed drop leaf dining table to starboard
- Large steel cabin heater up step in tiled surround forward starboard
- Sideboard forward to port containing sound system
- 3 x Oil lamps
- 3 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Davey & Co brass/ frosted glass reading lights

FORWARD PASSAGE TO PORT SIDE OF MAST
- Forward WC compartment to starboard
- Ceramic wash basin in pine joinery cupboard base
- Stand up shower with teak sole grating
- Deck head light

LARGE FO'C'SLE CABIN
- 2 x Large single v-berths with infill at toe end forward
- Lockers for stowage under
- Deckhead light
- Raised hatch in deck head offset to port
- Chain locker and warp stowage forward
- 2 x Davey & Co brass/ frosted glass reading lights

RIG
The bermudan cutter rig (capable of easy conversion to gaff yawl) was designed by a long distance, single-handing sailor, so built with ergonomics and ease of working in mind.
- Hollow Sitka spruce mast; 2 x spreaders & jumper strut
- Spruce boom
- Douglas fir bowsprit
- Facnor roller furling for staysail and jib
- Jib furler hooked to traditional, leathered galvanised ring traveller
- Bronze external shroud chainplates
- Hand spliced matt stainless steel standing rigging
- Running backstays with ash block tackles
- Lazy jacks
- 2 x Bronze Lewmar 40 ST halyard winches

SAILS
By One Sails, Levington (Dacron, 2022)
- Fully battened mainsail
- Furling staysail
- Furling jib
By Ratsey & Lapthorn, Cowes (Dacron, 2012/13)
- Mainsail
- Furling staysail
- Furling small jib

CANVASWORK
- Mainsail boom cover (One Sails 2024)
- Full winter cover (One Sails 2023)
- Covers for:
- deckhouse
- all hatches
- tiller and rudderhead
- cockpit coamings

MECHANICAL
- Beta 50 hp fresh water cooled diesel engine
- HT Stainless shaft and fixed 3-bladed propeller

ELECTRICAL
- 3 x 80 Ah house batteries
- 1 x 80 Ah start battery
- Mastervolt Battery Manager shore power charging system
- Inverter

TANKAGE AND ASSOCIATED
- All fuel and water tanks fitted are of stainless steel
- 130 L / 29 Gal Fuel
- c240 L / 53 Gal Fresh water
- Black water tank
- Grey water tank
- 2 x 9 kg propane gas bottles

OTHER
- 'Jet Thuster' centrifugal bow thruster
- Webasto cabin heating (currently not in operation)

- B&G T8 Navigation system
- Simrad RS12 VHF radio

- Life rings
- EPIRB
- Whale Gusher 50 and Rule electric bilge pumps
- Flares
- Fire extinguishers and alarms

- Fenders
- Mooring warps