Publicans invest in yacht to keep their business afloat

Two entrepreneurial licensees are taking their pub out to sea in a bid to buoy up trade and offer their customers a unique experience.

Peter and Gill Tydie have bought a 50-foot motorised yacht as an extension to the Victory on Mersea Island, Essex, which will enable their customers to take to the water.

The couple plan to host dinner and cocktail evenings onboard the yacht as it sails around the island.

"We were keen to find a way to further our business whilst also enjoying our sailing hobby" said Peter. "Buying the yacht has enabled us to do just that."

The couple fell in love with boats after spending a gap year sailing down French canals towards the Mediterranean. On their return to England they purchased the Victory and spent 18 months and over £100,000 refurbishing it.

"Having opened at Easter the Victory is finally becoming manageable, so there is no better time to do this. There is simply nothing else like it out there. We will offer a unique experience for our regulars and tourists alike" he said.

To capitalise on the 7,000 tourists that visit the island each week during the summer season, Peter and Gill have moored the yacht in a prime location directly outside the pub, on the banks of the Blackwater Estuary.

With a capacity for 20 people, the licensees hope that their venture will also attract the attention of small businesses in the area looking for corporate dinner destinations.

"It should appeal to a wide variety of people" said Peter. "Pubs and boats don't normally go together but that's why this is such an exciting opportunity."

The couple hope to offer their first off-shore pub experience in 2009.