TRANSPRESS

Flotex chosen for the Hathor Wherry

August, 2023

Flotex flooring was chosen for the Hathor Wherry, a 118-year-old wherry which has an interesting history. We sat down with Peter Bower to learn more about the boat and why Flotex was the perfect choice.

The pleasure wherry Hathor, is moored at How Hill on the Norfolk Broads from 1 May to 30 September each year and is one of only three surviving Norfolk pleasure wherries to be found on the Broads.

Hathor and one of the other Pleasure Wherries, Ardea, are operated by The Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust and are the only Pleasure Wherries which can still be chartered on the Broads. Hathor has been listed on the register of National Historic Ships in the United Kingdom since 1996 and is part of the National Historic Fleet.

Named after the Egyptian goddess of love, beauty, music, dancing, fertility, and pleasure, Hathor was built by Daniel Hall of Reedham for the Colman sisters, Ethel and Helen and launched in July 1905. Ethel and Helen were the daughters of Jeremiah James Colman who established the famous Norwich mustard firm J&J Colman.

The Wherry was built in memory of Alan Colman, their brother. He contracted tuberculosis and his doctors suggested that the warm air of Egypt might help him. After 6 weeks confined to a hotel, Alan wished to see something of the Nile, so he was taken on board the ‘Hathor’ one of the ‘dahabeahs’ or sailing boats which were common in Egypt at the time, but he sadly died just after reaching Luxor.

Hathor was commissioned in his memory in 1904 by his heartbroken sisters. They worked alongside their brother-in-law Edward T. Boardman, a prominent Norwich architect, to design the interior as a lasting memorial to Alan. It was built by one of the finest wherry builders and made with the most luxurious materials. Hathor contains a lavish Egyptian-themed interior with magnificent hieroglyphic inlay work. The sisters named the wherry ‘Hathor’ commemorating Alan’s last journey.

The Colmans and the Broadmans used Hathor for cruising the Broads until 1953. Hathor was then sold to Claud Hamilton, who wrote Hamilton's Navigation Guide to the Broads. In the mid-1960s Hathor was rescued by the Martham Boatbuilding and Development Company and after a major restoration, was used as a houseboat but sailed at the beginning and end of each season, for at least ten years. After Jimmy Brown's death, Hathor ended up de-rigged without even a mast, beside the River Thurne at Martham.

Hathor was saved from this ignoble fate by Mr Peter Bower and Mr Barney Matthews who purchased Hathor in November 1985. They aimed to add Hathor to their fleet which already included “Olive” and “Norada”, two Wherry Yachts. However, before that could happen, the two enthusiasts were to spend 18 months and many thousands of pounds restoring Hathor to sailing order and re-fitting the wherry internally.

Today, Hathor spends much of the season at How Hill where its regularly open to view for members of the public and also partakes in a limited number of scheduled sailings which anyone can join to fully experience the traditional way in which this magnificent vessel continues to be sailed, without any form of motorised assistance.

Why was Flotex chosen for the wherry?

Peter Bower from The Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust explains "Prior to the update, we had Flotex onboard the wherry for many years and we have been absolutely thrilled with the floor covering. It is incredibly easy to clean, and it has held up beautifully to the wear and tear of a commercial vessel.

It was recommended to us by another boatyard for its hard-wearing and waterproof qualities. When we were looking to update the flooring, our first choice was Flotex and after speaking to the Flotex design team, we were made aware of its bespoke capabilities which sold us."

What was the reason for the update?

"We had set our sights on a custom-designed floor that would truly elevate the wherry's appearance. During our conversation with Jason, Head of Design for Textile, he introduced us to the fascinating concept of high-definition print achievable on Flotex, and that sealed the deal for us.

Flotex proves to be the ideal flooring choice for a vessel like a wherry, offering exceptional ease of cleaning and remarkably fast drying times, resulting in minimal downtime. It has all the qualities of a resilient floor without the worry of someone slipping," says Peter Bower.

Would you recommend Flotex for other marine vessels and why?

"Absolutely, without a doubt! Due to the amazing high-definition print where we have been able to include Egyptian hieroglyphs specific to each cabin onboard, many people have commented on how great it looks, you cannot fail to notice the flooring now.

The design team for Flotex were absolutely superb and provided outstanding assistance throughout the process. Flotex is a great option if you want to add any specific features to the flooring and create a wow factor to the interior of the vessel. The flooring was meticulously cut to the perfect size and shape, facilitating a swift installation and minimal downtime," explains Bower.