| 1965 |
History from D.H. Green, first owner of "Hadley Star" from 1966-1977: This boat was originally being built for Les Bennett, but as it was not nearly completed by Easter of 1965 he instead purcahsed at a special price a 45' which he called "La Chemme". |
| 1966 |
The boat was the Earls Court Boat Show Boat in 1966 and featured chrome propellors and chrome rudders!!! |
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Boats were not selling very well at that time so Len Bates bought the boat from the company which was then being run by Mike and John. He called the boat "Starcraft"!! He used the boat up and down the Thames and at Ramsgate where it was the subject of a big write-up in "Motor Boat & Yachting". |
| December 7, 1966
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I purchased the boat in December 1966, and actually used it on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and then called it "Hadley Star". |
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Throughout my 10 years of ownership we cruised extensively, trips to Deauville twice, Holland, twice Lymington for the summer for two years, trips to Cherbourg, etc. I had it delivered to Poole Harbour by Peter Hayward and in darkness and a thunderstorm his man drove the boat over the training bank, bent one prop shaft and ruined the propellor and pushed a rudder three inches up into the transom. The lifeboat rescued her and she was towed to Poole Quay, she did not leak badly. New shaft, etc. were fitted and I used her for the remainder of the season. In the winter she went into Lathams Boatyard and we had to have 32 new planks as 4 of the inner ones were fractured, also new ribs, etc. When the repairs were completed John Bates examined her and could not tell which side had been attended to. |
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I sold the boat to a gentleman (whose name escapes me) who took it to the Crouch (he hit the outer Crouch buoy on the way in!!) He changed the name to Robwardeen, had the aft "wings" removed and put small stanchions around. He died a few years later and the boat was sold and went back to Poole Harbour an I saw her in 2003 at Wareham on the River Frome. I did 16,000 miles in this boat in 10 years. Note: We had rudder problems with "Hadley Star". One of the rudders snapped off at the root, the rudders were too deep and too heavy for the pintles so they took about 6 inches off them and we had not further trouble. ("Starlight VI" also lost a rudder off Ramsgate on way to France). |
| 1996 |
Owned by Judy East. On April 21, 1977 renamed Robwardeen after a young man Rob Wardeen, who died of cancer. |
| 1999 |
Owned by Eddie & Hannah Lindsey of Dorset. Offered for sale in 2002 at £15K. |
| 2003 |
Sold to David Box, a new owner whose intention was to resell her. |
| 2004 |
Purchased by Mike Hilton, a boatbuilder, who intends to live aboard and totally restore her. Her original engines are believed to be sound, but the interior is sadly neglected. Mike intends to rename her "Mistress Elizabeth". |
