Name Ivy Hotholer

IVY HOTHOLER was built in 1904 as a BCN ‘Joey’ or day-boat, with small aft accommodation. It is believed that she was built for Alfred Hickman Ltd which produced steel for Stewarts & Lloyds from furnaces known as Hot Holes and was taken over by the latter firm in 1925. This explains the vessel’s original name, HOTHOLER. 

Around the 1970s, she was converted into a motor houseboat, with a timber superstructure, steel counter-stern fitted by Malcolm Braine Boatbuilders Ltd of Norton Canes, Staffordshire. The engine fitted was a 4-cylinder Mercedes diesel engine, unknown origin. At some point, she was renamed KENMAR HOTHOLER, her name in 2006, and later IVY HOTHOLER, by 2013.

In 2016, she was purchased by her current owner. Between 2023 and 2024, they completed a full renovation at Kecksys Farm, on the River Stort. The sacrificial outside cabin structure was removed, revealing the pitch pine original cabin structure supported by teak ribs.These were repaired along with the oak gunnels. They removed flooring, internal walls, ballast, de-rusted, and treated all metal surfaces. They reinstalled new plumbing, electrics, a new engine, de-rusted the outside hull, did small welding repairs to swim, installed a new plywood cabin layer, and repainted the vessel. She is currently fitted with a 2024 Beta 43 engine.