Jones Boatyard

05/10/2026

Jones Boatyard ~ Your Premier Mooring on the River Great Ouse ⚓︎

Nestled beside the historic market town of St Ives, Jones Boatyard ...

02/10/2026

From boats to board games

Most of you know me as boatyard Ben, but for the past two years I've also been working on something very different.

My friend Rob Kinnear (the artist) and I (the game designer) have created a family card game called Shih Tzu! You compete to build the most prestigious zoo, outwit your rivals and avoid one very troublesome Shih Tzu.

After more than 100 playtests and countless tweaks, it's exciting to finally see it become a finished game. It's for 2–5 players aged 10+, with illustrated animal cards, holographic Star Animals, engraved wooden card racks, tokens, bags, a card tray and plenty more.

Fittingly, the games are arriving by boat. They're at sea now and expected in November, in time for Christmas. We're taking preorders at the Founders' price of £29.95 (£34.95 after launch, UK delivery only).

If you're looking for a truly original Christmas present for a family who loves animals, games and a bit of friendly rivalry, I'd be very grateful if you took a look:

https://average-bear.games

Thanks for letting me share a little of what I've been doing away from the boats!

Ben

24/09/2026

Same spot, same seal? Our regular visitor is back, looking rather different and appears to be going through her annual moult and changing into the grey winter coat.

This is clearly her current favourite spot, which is handy when she decides to leave us a little present, as it’s right next to the hot wash!

14/09/2026

He’s not all about the birds!....here are a few of Rob’s non-feathered subjects from around the boatyard over the last year, stoats, mice, dragonflies, caterpillars and one rather unfortunate-looking mitten crab...and he just couldn’t help slipping a barn owl in there.

08/09/2026

Rob the Swan Man to the rescue! 🦢

Nature can be cruel sometimes. This young swan, probably only around a year old, came into the boatyard today but unfortunately wasn’t made very welcome by our resident large male, who was viciously attacking it.

The youngster eventually escaped and ended up wandering, rather distressed, down Low Road.

Thankfully Rob came to the rescue and, rather more bravely than I would have, managed to pick him up! We took him by boat down to the Town Quay, which was surprisingly quiet on the swan front, and released him back onto the river where hopefully he can find some more welcoming company.

A good deed for the day. Thanks Rob!

05/09/2026

Walking around the marina this afternoon, we spotted this rather relaxed visitor making themselves at home on the cleaning bay pontoon!

Clearly there’s no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than stretched out by the water, soaking up the sunshine and watching the boats go by ☀️⚓️

We think they’ve got the right idea! 🦭💤

29/08/2026

Supporting the future of the River Great Ouse

Yesterday we were pleased to welcome our local MP, Ben Obese-Jecty MP, to Jones Boatyard for a meeting with Nigel Morris and Mike Starnes from the Great Ouse Boating Association (GOBA).

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss some of the important challenges facing the River Great Ouse, including the condition of the St Ives sluice/staunch, the responsibilities of the Environment Agency and the wider issue of funding for the maintenance of our waterways.

During the meeting, they took the opportunity to visit the St Ives sluice by boat to see some of the issues first-hand.

Our thanks to our MP Ben Obese-Jecty for giving his time and consideration to these important local issues, and to Nigel, Mike and everyone at GOBA for continuing to represent the interests of those who use and care about the Great Ouse.

A special thanks also to Rob from the boatyard for acting as skipper and helping with the visit and photographs.

27/07/2026

On Friday evening we said goodbye to Carol, our mum and wife to Mick, who passed away peacefully at home.

Carol was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January and given less than three months. We are incredibly grateful for the precious extra time we had together, for the quiet moments, the chance for her to reconnect with lifelong friends and for her to plan everything exactly as she wanted. Mick, Sam, Ben and Becky were fortunate to be by her side when she passed.

Carol was at the heart of the marina. She took great pride in the planting the beautiful old roses around the marina and in helping to create the picturesque haven that so many of our customers know and love today. She also loved nothing more than stopping for a chat, offering a warm welcome and making everyone who visited feel at home and much more behind the scenes.

Her kindness, dedication and unwavering support have left a lasting mark on the marina and on everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. She will be deeply missed by our family, the staff and the many customers and friends whose lives she touched over the years.

Thank you to everyone who has shown us such kindness, support and understanding during this difficult time. Your messages and thoughtful words have brought us great comfort.

14/07/2026

We were delighted to wave off the GOBA 'Navigating for Change' Campaign Cruise as it set off upstream in support of the Fund Britain's Waterways campaign.

Over the course of the journey, the flotilla will be raising awareness, flying the flag for Britain's waterways, and meeting local MPs and dignitaries as it makes its way towards the Bedford River Festival.

Bon voyage and best of luck to everyone taking part!

06/07/2026

⚡️ POWER OUT TOMORROW - 7th July between 10:00am and 3:30pm ⚡️

We'd just like to let you know that UK Power Networks has scheduled a power outage at Jones Boatyard tomorrow 7th July between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm.

During this time:
• Shore power will be unavailable.
• Wi-Fi will be unavailable.
• The chandlery will be closed.
• Our telephone system will also be out of service, so we won't be able to take calls until power is restored.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding while this essential work is carried out.

Thank you for your cooperation.

The Jones Boatyard Team