Black Prince Duchess Type 1

The first Duchess “York” was built during 1992. Black Prince’s modern QE fleet introduced just four years earlier had been a huge success but the company was aware that standing still was not a good plan for long lasting success. With this in mind, and after seeking suggested improvements and comments from customers the Duchess was launched.

Preferred shell supplier was John Pinder, with Black Prince fitting the interior themselves, mainly at their Stoke Prior base.

Immediately different from her QE Sisters externally with top hopper windows and subtle, luxurious colour scheme of navy blue with double grey border giving them a more private boat feel. This changed after a few seasons to the fleets new uniform blue and burgundy within a few seasons.

To start with just the 60ft version was built, internally featuring two armchairs and a dining table and chairs in the forward cabin. Such was the success that over the next few years a variety of different lengths were introduced, explored in more detail on this page and in 1999 an updated version was launched (click here for more info on the 2nd style).

Duchess 2.1 (Style 1): 54ft 2-4 berth: This was introduced in 1995 as a shorter version of the standard four berth. With one less sleeping cabin aft it featured a dinette/double berth in the saloon in place of the dining table and chairs to allow a second double to be offered and a fold down single opposite the armchairs to suit family parties. This made the class a very spacious two or comfortable four berth.

Duchess 4.2 & 4.3 (Style 1):60ft 4 berth: This was the first class of Duchess to be launched. Originally they were built as either 4.2 layout which had two fixed double berth cabins and an offset rear door or with one fixed double and two rear singles and central rear doors. Within a few seasons Black Prince had improved the design so that one single berth being could move to allow either configuration to be set up and most craft were built in this format, with central rear doors. Many of the shells came from John Pinder and most were fitted at Stoke Prior, with Chirk also starting to fit out but in smaller numbers towards the end of the nineties. Most craft had black square edged window frames though in later years some were built with gold windows with rounded bottom corners.

Duchess 6.3 & 6.4 (Style 1):65ft 6/8 berth: This larger Duchess was launched in 1997. The aft cabins were similar to Duchess 4 berth but with an extra sleeping cabin. The forward cabin included a second toilet and different saloon and galley arrangements to enable up to eight people to be accommodated. Some were built with black square edged windows and others with gold windows with rounded bottom corners. The aft cabin could be set up as another double or as two singles, giving the option of four doubles.