Practical Boat Owner — November 2017

boats

an Elizabethan 23

O

ur Elizabethan 23 Elissa was

launched in 1973 at the

Ropewalk Boat Yard in

Lymington. Previous owner

Roy Lister sailed her

extensively using the very basic dead

reckoning methods of navigation most of

the time, and he never really got around to

doing much cosmetic work to the boat.

However, his love and trust in the yacht

design and its fabulous handling ability

allowed him to sail to the coast of

Brittany, the Channel Islands, St Malo

and the Isles of Scilly.

Roy then decided to get more

adventurous so, leaving Lilliput Sailing

Club in Poole, he sailed the Channel to

France, dropping the mast to navigate the

canals, and with his wife joining him they

motored all the way to the Mediterranean.

A good friend flew down to meet Elissa

to help him sail her back to Poole, while

his wife flew home. The two of them then

made their way back through the Bay of

Biscay. As they were both retired they had

plenty of time to do this. It’s a passage

they made not once, but twice – an

amazing achievement in a small boat.

When things aren’t so rosy at sea for us

aboard Elissa I just think: ‘She’s sailed

Biscay twice, so just get on with it!’ It

doesn’t always take the fear away, but at

least gives us reassurance in the boat.

With more adventure in mind, Roy later

sailed north, taking Elissa to Norway.

Later still, on one of his trips to St Malo,

Elissa was off Alderney when Roy handed

the helm to his crew so he could get some

rest. The wind picked up from the west

and, faithfully following the course he’d

been given, the helmsman was not aware

that Elissa was sliding down large waves

with an onshore wind. Tacking and trying

to beat away on a very dark night with a

5ft draught was a bad combination – the

keel touched bottom and was bounced up

the beach on a 35ft ebbing tide.

Two small holes meant water and sand

filtered throughout the hull, sinking her in

shallow water but at least allowing them to

get safely to shore.

Patch-up job

With some ingenuity she was patched up

at low tide, refloated on the next high

water and then sailed back to Poole

without further incident.

When Roy’s health started to deteriorate

he decided to put Elissa up for sale in

Alastair Inglis tells the tale of the well-

travelled but down-at-heel yacht he restored

ELISSA

As found: rust stains and fouling can’t disguise the good looks of the Elizabethan 23

Alastair and Monica sailing

Elissa off the Dorset coast

bOATS