Mavis (aka Amazon)

Current boat name

Mavis (aka Amazon)

Boat class

7330

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

3.96 / 13ft

Leeward

Centreboard

Masts

1 Wood

Rig type

Lug

Propulsion

Oar/Sail

Date of build

pre-1928

Place of build

Piel Island, Barrow in Furness

Present use

Museum

MAVIS was one of the two sailing dinghies bought by Dr Ernest Altounyan and his friend Arthur Ransome from Walney Island in April 1928, so that the Altounyan children might learn to sail on Coniston Water that summer. The childrens' adventures vividly reminded Arthur Ransome of his own youth when he was taught to sail on the same lake, in a dinghy called SWALLOW, in 1904. The name of that fondly remembered boat was bestowed on one of the new boats in 1928: the other was named MAVIS. MAVIS was a partial inspiration of the fictional AMAZON in 'Swallows and Amazons'. In 1958 Dr Atounyan attempted to stop deterioration of MAVIS by sheathing her in glassfibre. This was not successful because dampness was entrapped. She was moved to Windermere Steamboat Museum in 1988 where a major restoration was started. MAVIS is currently on display at Ruskin Museum in Coniston. June 2009: (Archive) Images 2 & 3 Windermere 2006