The Mk IV Boat
In 1980 a new boat was built on the Safari hull with a completely different superstructure. The design was promoted as the Sedan Version. It was more traditional, having a fixed raised wheelhouse amidships and a well shrouded moderate-sized aft cockpit.
© 1997 Dan Horner
The original Safari Mk4, "Supreme Safari", seen here in 1997 when she was still part of the Hampton hire fleet and before the incident that caused her to be significantly rebuilt.
The internal layout of the MkIV. A curtain separates the fore cabin.
© 1990 Hoseasons
A rather grainy image of the interior of the sedan, taken from the 1990 Hoseasons boating brochure.
The MkIV did have one feature retained from the MkIII, a large sliding sun roof to the wheelhouse, obvious from the photo that appeared in the Hoseason's brochure.
The MkIV was not a popular boat on the Broads. Only three known to have been registered on these waters. That may be because the fixed nature of the wheelhouse meant it would not pass under all the local bridges. However, the Broads may not have been the intended market and it could turn out to be popular elsewhere as the whereabouts of some 100 boats of the 256 known to have been built are unknown and many of them could be the Sedan version.
Apart from design and internal layout, the MkIV was radically different from the earlier versions technically. Perhaps taking notice of the version built by L.H. Jones, on the Great Ouse, its engine was mounted under the port locker in the cockpit and it had hydraulic drive to the propeller.
The first of the three Sedans on the Broads suffered an accident in the season that it was launched that ripped off most of its wheelhouse. It was sold immediately after the incident and the private buyer rebuilt her without the wheelhouse replacing it with an extended aft cockpit. The remaining two craft survive and both are now with private owners.