Boat Tests

FAQ

Located on a small industrial estate in a sleepy part of Sussex, Orkney boats started life in 1973 with just one model in its range, the Orkney Longliner 16. Based upon the designs of early beach launched fishing boats from the Orkney Isles (hence the name), the design found instant success as it was inexpensive to run, easy to launch and exceptional capable out at sea. This particular model has remained so popular that it is still in constant production today although now in its 3^rd generation, over 4000 have been made so far. The reason the Orkney design philosophy remains so successful is that each boat is built and designed to a few key ideas. These are that ever Orkney is made to a highest possible quality, incorporating economical design with exceptionally low depreciation that although may not have the frills and sparkle of some competitive products will continue to give solid service for years to come. Something that we are sure the growing number of nearly 15,000 existing Orkney owners will all agree with.

The first of the Dory models, the Orkney 4m was introduced the following year which added a sportier option for the Orkney customer who wanted a stable yet fast platform with a smaller 3m Dory and a larger 4.5m Dory added in 1977 and 1979. The 3m & 4m models would be updated into D315 & D424 current configuration in 1985 with the 4.5m becoming the D475 and later the D505 in 1991. These new improvements increased the length of the centre hull for a better ride and seakeeping. With the introduction of the RIB (rigid inflatable boat) the demand for the Dory began to reduce as the appeal of a ‘floating fender’ began to attract some customers. However as the short lifespan of the tubes and large thirsty engine requirement started to overshadow the apparent benefits the interest for the Dory increased and remains strong today with more than 2,500 Dory models made to date, a number that is steadily increasing year upon year.

Following on from the success of the Longliner, a smaller Spinner 13 was launched in 1975 with an equally impressive reaction as not only a recreational small fishing boat but also with commercial operators which is why she has also remained in constant production largely unchanged in nearly 2000 boats built so far. You can find the Orkney Spinner 13 globally but if you have ever had the opportunity to row around either Battersea or Hyde Park in the last 15 years then you have most probably already been aboard one, each boat covering many miles each year. The subsequent year in 1976 we had made a total of nearly 850 boats and with increased demand, a sailing version of the Spinner was introduced as the Orkney Skua. Although only produced for 6 years over 168 were made and they still prove extremely popular today if a little rare.

1980 was really where the foundations for the line-up of today models started to develop from our Longliner roots. With Longliner no. 1850 rolling off the production line customers wanted to go further a field from their normal fishing grounds and in order to achieve this they required faster boats, introducing the Orkney Fastliner 16. Initially designed as a replacement to the Longliner, it soon became clear that there was still a strong following for the Longliner 16 and after an outcry for it to return that it was later run alongside where it has remained still today. The Fastliner 16 incorporated improved performance with the option of having an enclosed cuddy whilst retaining many key features that made the Longliner so popular. This was a huge leap forward not only in terms of what we could offer, but also in terms of what had been available and raised the bar for the competition to reach. By the end of its production run in 1987 we had manufactured in excess of 6,250 boats in total and had paved the way for generations of boats to come.

The smallest of the Orkney range was introduced in 1983 as the Orkney Angler 11 started to leave the factory. Aimed primarily at the rowing club and small tender market you will find this model working along side the Spinner in the Royal Parks of London as well as many being used to ferry owners to and from their larger craft. Although no longer in our main line up this model is still produced in runs for clubs around the country with nearly 500 boats still in use. 

The next real leap in both design and innovation cam along in 1984 with the introduction the iconic Orkney Fastliner 19 followed a few years later with the legendary Orkney Strikeliner 16+ in 1987. These two boats really were a quantum leap from the Orkneys of old and included many of the ideas and requests that previous Orkney owners had made such as wheel steering something which was a rarity for many makes of boats in the eighties. Finding huge success with the retail and commercial customers alike, many were used as commercial beach boats which are still used day in day out around the south coast and Scotland. One of the biggest markets of success especially for the Strikeliner 16+ was the rapid growth of the competition angler. Often 2 or 3 anglers would by a boat between them and travel around the country with their boat to various competitions. Speak to any anglers today and a large proportion know of these models which is why in most cases these boats are worth more today than they were when we sold them 15 years ago. These models paved the way for the later models you see today and remained in production until 1998 with a combination of over 2800 boats built within this time. The success of these models in 1989 gave us our highest annual with over 1050 boats being delivered. With the introduction of larger and more complex models such as the Orkadian and Day Angler 23 also introduced later in 1989 this number would never be surpassed again.

A year after the introduction of the Strikeliner in 1988 the Coastliner 14 started to pop out of the moulds and created a name for itself as a boat that you could take home and put on your drive or in your garage as well as go out to sea in and remain confident in its capabilities. Proof of this timeless design is that it has continued in production today largely unchanged as the 440 with over 1200 built so far.

The early nineties saw the launch of larger boats into the Orkney range with the introduction of the Day Angler 21 in 1991, the Day Angler 19+ in 1994 and the Orkadian 20 in 1995. The Day Angler 21 and 23 was created in response to the commercial beach boat fisherman who found the Fastliner 19 too small and although originally intended as an open workboat was soon adapted to allow for a wheelhouse which proved popular with operators like the HM Coastguard and Harbour Authorities and German Police Service. The Day Angler 19+, the first boat designed by TT Boat Designs for Orkney, was launched 3 years later as the natural progression for this range as it was easily trailed and moved around the country to new fishing grounds to explore. The success of this model was hugely underestimated with an projected annual build of 20 boats. The boat was launched at the 1994 London International Boatshow at Earls Court and 17 were ordered there and then with a further 15 being ordered at a subsequent demonstration weekend. Our original estimates were way off and we were soon building two Day Angler 19+’s a week and continued this way for the majority of its production run.

For the customer who wished to go boating in more luxury the Orkadian 20 & 23 offered just that with a more refined fitout and finish. That said, Her Majesties Coastguard ordered 2 Orkadian 23’s as patrol boats and remained in constant use in Scotland and the South Coast for over 10 years. So popular was this range that they can even be seen as south as the Falkland Isles. The Orkadian’s and Day Anglers were the inspiration and basis for the Pilothouse models which summarised the best qualities of both ranges into one. The largest Orkney to date was introduced in 1998 as the Orkney Pilothouse 24 started to leave the factory with its smaller sister the Pilothouse 20 launched in 2002 replacing the previous versions with clear links into their Nelson heritage. Both models continue today to form a cornerstone of our product line-up and are a great success with recreational anglers and day boaters as well as commercial operators such as ABP (Association of British Ports) in Troon, western Scotland. Both offer a heads and a galley and whilst they maintain the workboat/utilitarian feel externally, they also have a high degree of comfort and fitout internally making them popular as an over nighter or coastal explorer, or Channel Island explorer in the case of the 24.

Although most people may believe that making a hull design perform well is as simple as making a pointy end and a blunt one, we would certainly disagree. Anyone can make a strong hull by making it far thicker than is really required but the downside to this approach is the need for ever larger engines and therefore much high fuel consumption. The real art is in creating a light, strong boat that only requires a modest engine to achieve the desired performance. This is something that Orkney Boats has dedicated its like to achieving and is one of the main selling points of what we can offer. Another consideration is in making a boat that is not only stable at rest but also supremely sea-worthy. To achieve one is normally to the detriment of the other and even when the ideal combination has been created, the inclusion or exclusion of something as simple as a keel band can drastically change the boats characteristics. The late 1980’s saw the beginning of the collaboration between Orkney Boats and Arthur Mursell of TT Boat Designs based on the Isle of Wight which remains stronger today than ever. TT Boat Designs is famed for many of the Nelson designs that you see today being used as pilot craft and workboats alike. Arthur brought modern computer aided design and testing abilities whilst also bringing all of his vast knowledge in boat design. Arthur’s influence is firstly most obvious with the introduction of the Pilothouse 24 and is easily seen in the boats we build today with blunt bows and deep forefoot. Although this collaboration brought Orkney’s design ideas into the 21^st century, the knowledge that we have gained from building the 10’s of thousands of boats we have is unsurpassed by many in the marine industry. Once a new design has been prototyped we will spend thousands of hours testing the hull on the water in many different layouts and combinations with excessive power and sea conditions to ensure that every boat leaving our factory is the best it can be. So the next time you look at our boats and admire the oversized deck fittings and ingenuous internal design gaining every last inch of space, have a look at the hull and spare a thought for the time taken to make sure when you go out to sea in an Orkney you will be in one of the best boats afloat.

Although the early nineties saw an expansion of the large boats in the Orkney range the later part of the decade saw the introduction of the performance range. Designed to replace the Strikeliner 16+ & Fastliner 19+, the new 520 & 590TT were faster, easier to launch and incorporated many new features in design and finish that were also designed to get the best our of the latest four stroke technology. Whilst the 590TT was a completely new design from TT Boat Designs the 520 took a lot of its inspiration from the Strikeliner. Developed with more beam for stability and one of the key parameters that the 520 had to achieve was to make the most of the new rollercoaster style trailers. Having made the Day Angler 19+ to make use of this evolving technology it was quickly clear to us that this was the way forward and with the introduction of longitudinal stringers and monocoque chassis designs both boats took advantage of the ease of launch and recover offered by the new style trailers. It was also decided that the 520 should be able to fit on an unbraked trailer allowing it to be towed by most family cars and keep running costs down further. This fact along with the need for only a modest 30hp engine to achieve 20 knots with a couple of anglers made this another iconic Orkney with nearly 1000 made when it ceased production in 2008. The 590TT also soon outstripped demand with 5 a month being made and supplied all across England and Europe. Popular for its deep, self draining cockpit it lent itself to either a boat to be towed around or left on a mooring.

The performance range ran for 10 years increasing our profile in the boating world hugely whilst also opening up more of the day boat market as our boats became more refined. These boats were the precursor to the Series 2 models first introduced in 2007 as the 592 and later the 522 in 2008 and the 452 in 2009. These designs are clearly from the pen of Arthur Mursell creating a range of mini Nelson launches. The Series 2 incorporates everything learnt from over 30years of boat build and although they retain the classical retro styling they are built with the latest materials and design ideas whilst not forgetting one of key ideas of keeping it light and economical. Built along side this range the Vanguards were introduced as a purely gentleman’s motor launch. Although based around a similar hull as the Series 2 they were designed with more performance in mind and unquestionable luxury. Examples of the Vanguards can be found floating around the country in places such as Chichester Harbour, Seaview in the Isle of Wight whilst they can also be found sailing around the world as tenders to Super yacht tenders. 

With the introduction of the largest boat we have ever made the Orkney 27 and the revamped Pilothouse 20mkII launched early 2010, once again Orkney Boats and our range of boats have raise the benchmark which our competition continually chases and goes to further prove why Orkney Boats are the largest manufacturer of boats under 30ft in England and continue to remain so year after year.

Customer statements

Mel Russ

Editor