Why the Orkney Coastliner 14 transformed my coastal cruising

Clive Marsh

Clive Marsh looks at the Orkney Coastliner 14 - a lightweight sea boat that is easy to launch and recover

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The River Rother at my home port of Rye dries out on each ebb tide and the banks are very steep. If you’re relying totally on a single engine with a boat that can’t be sailed or rowed, then you have to hope that you don’t suffer engine failure, for if you dry out on the bank the chances of your boat turning over are high.

I once had an old motor cruiser with a 1950s petrol engine and my share of good hope must have been running out. Just by chance when going to buy a pot of antifouling from Sea Cruisers chandlery, I noticed a neat little Orkney Coastliner 14 their shed.

She was light, would be easy to launch, had oar crutches, was beamy with plenty of freeboard, could carry a spare outboard motor and looked just right as she sat on her light trailer. This could be the cure I needed to cease relying on good hope when coming back up the steep-sided river to my mooring.

Two men driving an Orkney Coastliner 14

The Orkney Coastliner 14 can carry up to four people. Credit: Orkney Boats

So, I bought her there and then and didn’t bother with the pot of antifouling. This caused a few raised eyebrows when I brought yet another boat home to join my fleet. The plan was to tow the Orkney Coastliner 14 to various slipways along the coast and keep her in the garage.

My first call was to Oakley’s Marine in Brighton which supplied a new 15hp motor with Morse controls. A steering wheel and mechanism was also fitted. I already had a spare 3.5hp motor which I was to carry in the boat together with some long lightweight Plastimo oars. The high freeboard of the Orkney Coastliner 14 needed long oars.

The boat looked as though it had a good level of buoyancy which I was soon to test when I forgot to put the plug in! All that was left to do was to fit her out with the usual safety equipment including anchors, chain, warps, sea anchor, pump, bailer/bucket, VHF, spare crutches/oar, navigation lights, radar reflector, personal buoyancy etc and we were ready to go.

Easy launching with the Orkney Coastliner 14

Sea trials were from Rye Harbour using the public slipway. Nothing could be easier, and I could do this single-handed. The flood tide at Rye is fierce, but the launch was so much easier than that experienced with one of my sail boats.

I did get the tapered bearings wet, but could easily service or change this type of bearing. On subsequent occasions using different slipways, I was able to launch and recover without immersing the bearing hubs. Out in the bay there was just a little chop and she was quick to get on the plane. This was fast enough for me, but some people fit a 20hp motor which will take them to 22 knots.

I did tight turns and she shipped no water; her wide beam and high freeboard were very reassuring. Back in the river I put the motor on tick over and into neutral to try rowing. She rowed well with her long oars. Recovery up the slipway was, again, easy single-handed.

A boat moored by a pontoon

The older Coastliner Heritage model with a topscreen is now only available secondhand. Credit: Clive Marsh

Next, I towed her down to Bosham to launch from the slipway by the quay. I launched, tied her alongside the jetty and went for a coffee and some toast in the corner café. When I returned, she was very low in the water but still afloat… I’d left the plug out.

After replacing the plug and some serious bailing she was ready to go and visit the villages of Emsworth, Dell Quay and Itchenor with a short stay at East Head sands for a swim. With four of us in the boat we could just jog along as a displacement boat, keeping within the speed limit in the harbour. I was using her that day as a steady platform to take photos of the yachts.

A few weeks later Eastbourne Marina was offering a weekend special which included a launch with their crane, mooring and the use of all facilities. We launched, made our way through the village, locked out and entered the outer harbour. Sea conditions were fine, so we headed out towards the Sovereign and then Beachy Head. Plenty of chop with a Force 4, but this no problem for the Orkney.

Great for day trips

Our next outing was a day trip to the Isle of Wight. We launched into the Hamble from Warsash where we could leave the car and trailer for a small fee.

Down the Hamble and into Southampton Water we kept well clear of the ferries and commercial traffic – there’s plenty of room to manoeuvre compared to Rye. Then along the south coast of the mainland before crossing to Newtown Creek on the island, a delightful place for lunch. Although only a small boat we followed the transit line to enter the creek. After a kip we went east to Cowes, dodging the ferries and the chain ferry at the entrance to the Medina.

We stopped at Cowes for a pit stop before heading back to the mainland. Now things had freshened up, with a strong wind on tide and steep waves. We were by far the smallest boat out there but we shipped no water. However, my chum, Maurice, and I were covered in salt once the sun had dried us out.

Later, I bought a little screen that fits on top of the cuddy to keep the spray off (not needed in reasonable conditions). Back in the Hamble, we had a good journey upriver and under the bridge (not easily possible with a yacht) before recovering the boat at Warsash. All this in a day. I enjoy staying on the Isle of Wight, particularly at the Seaview Hotel, and it occurred to me that we now didn’t need the ferry.

Over a period of a few years the little Orkney Coastliner 14 took us to many places as a trailer boat that we never had time to visit from a moored yacht. I have owned three Orkney boats. The Coastliner is a great little boat, now in France, where she is much admired and used as a capable fishing boat. Time for me to look out for another – there are plenty available second-hand, and they’re also still available new.

Specifications of the Orkney Coastliner 14

LOA: 4.37m (14ft 4in)
Beam: 1.73m (5ft 8in)
Hull weight: 200kg (440lb)
Maximum horsepower: 20hp, long shaft. Tiller steer model available at max 15hp, long shaft
Speed: max design speed 22 knots, optimum design speed 14 knots
Performance indicator: 6hp (8.5 knots)
15 hp (14 knots)
20hp (22 knots
Max persons: 4
Max load: 335kg (738lb)
Design category: C
Price: Standard Boat price (ex engine) £7,782.00 Including VAT
Contact: orkneyboats.com

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