Spend time with family & friends
Bring up to 8 people to spend quality time together as you cruise along the Hamble
Afternoon tea
Enjoy a traditional Afternoon Tea of Sandwiches, Scones and Cake
Prosecco, tea, coffee & soft drinks
Are all included in the price
About Our Cruises
We have been the custodians of Betsie Jane since 2016 and much of the inspiration for our Coffee Shop was taken from our love for the bygone era that Betsie represents! At high tide join us for a cruise along the stunning Upper Reaches of the River Hamble, starting from Universal Marina in Sarisbury Green and meandering through the beautiful and oft-forgotten rolling fields and woodlands that line the lesser known, quieter but stunning waters of this famous River. On this stunning upstream cruise we are able to reach the point at which the River splits into two and continues its journey further to the Quay in Botley and the Horse and Jockey in Burridge.
Alternatively join us on a downstream cruise through the busier Lower Reaches of the River Hamble, which is always a hive of activity, through the the thousands of moorings which line both sides of this busy yachting waterway. There is always plenty to see and admire on our downstream cruises and Betsie Jane always turns heads as one of the oldest motor launches on the River!
Our professional Skipper and Mate will take care of you throughout your cruise – we’re a small team so if you have visited our Coffee Shop in Universal Marina you may well recognise the crew who will be taking care of you on the day. Don’t worry as before we opened the Coffee Shop all of us had extensive careers in yachting and boating covering over 300,000 nautical miles at sea between us, so you’ll be in safe hands!
All the catering for our cruises comes straight from our Coffee Shop in Universal Marina. Enjoy Mermaids Afternoon Tea served on vintage bone china, which includes a selection of finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, plus a selection of home made cakes accompanied by Prosecco, tea, coffee and soft drinks.
Betsie Jane River Cruise
£350.00
Book exclusive hire of Betsie Jane for up to 8 people. The price includes use of Betsie Jane with her professional Skipper and Mate for one and a half hours with Prosecco, Soft Drinks, Tea & Coffee and an Afternoon Tea.
All cruises in 2022 start and finish from Universal Marina in Sarisbury Green.
Please note we are now fully booked for the 2022 season. Information on the 2023 season will be confirmed soon.
Out of stock
- Weather
- Special Diets
- Participants
Betsie Jane is a completely open boat, so we don’t run in weather conditions which might mean that you’ll get rained on or your food will be blown away! In the event the trip is unable to run due to weather we’ll contact you with as much notice as we can and work with you to find a suitable alternative date to reschedule your trip. If your trip is rescheduled more than twice we will also offer the option of a full refund.
We are able to cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten or dairy free diets on board Betsie Jane, we just ask that we are notified of any special dietary requirements at least one week prior to your trip.
We accept children aged 8 and over on our cruises if accompanied by a parent or guardian. There is no upper age limit, but participants will need to walk down a marina ramp and along pontoons to get to the boat. There are also two steep steps to get onto the boat and unfortunately Betsie Jane is not adapted to take wheelchairs aboard. If you would like to discuss mobility requirements for a trip aboard Betsie Jane please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss this further.
About Betsie Jane
Betsie Jane was commissioned by Lord Ebbisham and built by Saunders-Roe in Cowes in 1937/8. Designed specifically for entertaining guests, she was luxuriously appointed with white leather seats in the cockpit, teak decks and beautiful cabinet work. She was driven by two 6 cylinder 71hp ‘Gray’ petrol engines with a maximum speed of 14 knots.
Lord Ebbisham, Sir George Rowland Blades GBE, former Lord Mayor of London employed a full time Skipper, Frank Toogood, to look after and run Betsie Jane. His role was to transport Lord Ebbisham and his guests to and from his house, ‘The Rookery’ in Seaview on the Isle Of Wight and around the Solent. However shortly after she was built, with the outbreak of WW2, Lord Ebbisham relinquished the boat for the Royal Navy to use. Amazingly, Lord Ebbisham managed to keep Frank Toogood aboard Betsie Jane to ‘look after her’ meaning he had to sign up as a Rating and join in with the War effort aboard Betsie Jane.
Betsie Jane initially operated as tender to whichever ‘examination vessel’ was positioned at St. Helens Roads. They were responsible for examining and checking each incoming ship to the area. Frank Toogood and ‘HM Motor Launch Betsie Jane’ received their orders directly from Captain Saunders RN, the Commander in Chief, Isle of Wight who was based at Culver Down Fort.
In 1940 HM Motor Launch Betsie Jane took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk under the command of Frank Toogood. In discussions with his Son before passing, Frank recalled towing small boats that had broken down, but could not remember how many trips across they made in the end. He didn’t like to talk much about it, according to his family.
In 1941 Seaview Pier and the Pier Hotel were taken over by the Admiralty and became H.M.S Victory III – External Defence Office. HM Motor Launch Betsie Jane was also moved to the new position and Frank Toogood became ‘Coxswain to the Commander’.
In 1942 Betsie Jane had a major overhaul at Woodnutt’s Yard, St. Helens where a wheel house was added and her original engines were replaced with two 120hp Sea Queen engines bring her top speed from 14 knots to 20 knots.
After every air raid all the ships in the Solent and Dockyard couldn’t move until the harbour and shipping channels were swept clear of mines. However as Betsie Jane was made from teak and fastened with copper roves, she could move around with minimal risk from the magnetic mine detonators.
On one occasion she was ordered to proceed to a position approximately 10 miles South of St. Catherine’s Point to pick up airman who had ditched in the sea. When they arrived they discovered the airman was German and in a poor way. Once they had him aboard and disarmed, they took him to Haslar Hospital. After that incident it was decided to issue Frank Toogood and the crew with side arms and .303 rifles.
As the War intensified and more and more shipping arrived in the Solent, Betsie was also used as a Pilot Vessel. She was ordered to proceed to the Nab Tower and pick up the lead vessels of allied ship convoys and escort them to designated anchorages within the safety of the Solent.
One of the most secretive operations Betsie was involved in during the War was surveying for Operation PLUTO. Frank Toogood and Betsie Jane were ordered to report, without crew, to King’s Stairs in Portsmouth Harbour where they collected high ranking Officers and surveyors and were handed sealed orders directly from the Admiralty to “proceed to the SW of the Isle of Wight then steam at 3 to 4 knots in a Westerly direction, 1 to 1.5 miles off the coast, heave too when ordered”.
During the build up to Operations Neptune & Overlord – The D Day Landings; and during the operation, Frank Toogood and Betsie Jane worked all day and night leading ships to their anchorages, transferring Officers from ship to ship and shore to ship as well as delivering sealed orders to awaiting ships Captains before they departed the Solent.
Frank Toogood and Betsie Jane were released from Service in 1945 and returned to service for Lord Ebbisham as before the War. In 1953 Lord Ebbisham passed away and Betsie Jane was laid up and no longer used. After a few years Betsie Jane was sold by the family.
Betsie Jane came into the ownership of Mr Alick Dick, the Managing Director and Chairman of the Standard – Triumph International Company. She was used as a family boat cruising from the Solent to the West Country and onwards to Pembrokeshire. From here the ownership trail is lost, until we pick up the story when Ron Bailey transported Betsie Jane to Haddenham, Cambridgeshire. Before this she had laid in a local boat yard in a very poor state.
Ron was a retired boatbuilder and started restoration in 1991. He secured much of the structural work with the intention of full restoring her. Unfortunately ill health meant Ron could not continue with the restoration and poor Betsie Jane was eventually put on the market in 2007.
This is where Paul Rainbird took over the project and what was supposed to take 6 months turned out to be 5 years, with the refit finishing in 2012. Fortunately thanks for Ron and Paul, many of the original fixtures and fittings were saved and incorporated into the restoration. Paul Rainbird moved Betsie Jane to Greenway Marine in Loddon, on The Broads in Norfolk to undertake the refit.
Paul Rainbird launched Betsie Jane once more in 2012 and she was used on the fresh water of the Norfolk Boards. Used privately by Paul and Heidi Rainbird for pleasure trips, as well as for commercial trips with guests along the Broads.
In September 2016, after a long search for the ‘right’ boat, Betsie Jane was purchased by Lisa and Jono (the owners of Mermaids of Botley) and brought back to the Solent, where she started her life back in 1938. Since 2016, with careful ownership and continued refits and restoration, she is now once again entertaining guests in her original home waters as she was intended to, over 80 years ago. Since 2016 Jono and Lisa have entertained over 3,000 guests aboard Betsie Jane for afternoon tea or evening drinks.
Visit the beautiful upper reaches of the
River Hamble
Address:
Mermaids Coffee Shop
Premier Universal Marina
Crableck Lane
Sarisbury Green
SO31 7ZN
Parking:
There is ample parking at Premier Universal Marina. We offer free parking for up to two cars for the duration of your trip. Any additional cars can pay at the machine just before the exit barrier on leaving. The first 30 minutes is free, £1 per hour thereafter.
Need to contact us:
As we are normally all busy out on the water, serving in the shop, cooking cake or roasting coffee, it would be great if you could contact us by email on hello@mermaids.coffee and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
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