New Year challenge - famous boatyards and their boats

[JanetAnne]

12 hours ago, Boatingman said:

Those days toilets discharged into river and ice box

So that's how the thunderbox was invented.  

[imtamping2]

15 hours ago, Boatingman said:

 

Those days toilets discharged into river and ice box

Toilets discharged into the river controversial but accepted then......but into the ice box surely has to be a no no even in the past.......anyone for choc ice ??? 

[Springsong]

"So that's how the thunderbox was invented.   "

God they were horrible, they smelt awful. I don't

think they were invented I think they evolved from

a pile of ++++. 

[BroadScot]

3 minutes ago, springsong said:

"So that's how the thunderbox was invented.   "

God they were horrible, they smelt awful. I don't

think they were invented I think they evolved from

a pile of ++++. 

Are we talking about the Hampton Boats trademark version? They were quite sweet smelling on take over! 

Iain.

[JanetAnne]

Just to bump this thread up again, although we are all enjoying Griff's memoires as well of course, here's possibly the only colour picture in existance of this little cruiser. She was I believe, sadly broken up in about 1971. This picture is from 1963.

Anyone care to guess her name and the location (with reg number suitably disguised of course )?

[webntweb]

Well JA, At first I thought it was a Blakes logo but on closer inspection It looks like Bradbeers. So I can't cheat and look at the old brochures.

Roy

[Springsong]

Well JA I hope I don't upset anyone but what a truly

awful looking boat. The windows are all wrong there is an

ugly reverse sheer going on at the bow and the rear cabin

is too short.If I had to hazard a guess I would say that

bunch at Stokesby whose name escapes me and as for

her name designless? 

[Springsong]

I would love to see one of these big Ralph Moore & son

boats restored and back on the rivers of the Broads.

[Vaughan]

Springsong, do you notice there is no Blakes emblem on the bows of that lovely Moores boat? This is because Ralph Moore refused to fit the emblem as he considered his standards were much higher than Blakes.

[C.Ricko]

I used  Sea Earl throughout 2014 as my own cruiser, I don't think there are any other AG Ward boats on the broads, she was a lovely boat to have, I would have kept her if I did not have Broadsventure... 

[Springsong]

 You are as ever quite right Vaughan they were always independent.

Clive I think you may well be right, I came across her

a few years ago when she was being worked on in

the old mushroom farm at Catfield.

[C.Ricko]

I think you are probably right, I never knew she was in there but that would make sense.. 

we put a new transom in her last year and also a fair bit of planking, .. 

 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

On 05/01/2016 at 1:24 PM, JanetAnne said:

I will see your three Barry and raise you this little lot.

This is 'Crested Crane' the first of possibly as many as 8 aft cockpit cruisers built by Fred Newson. I'm sure Peter will remember them being launched if his bedroom looked out over Newsons slipway!

Crested Crane was just a few days old when these pictures were taken and was being used for a feature in Motor Boat and Yachting magazine. A copy of the pictures were put into an album and went with the boat to Worsley Craft when she was delivered. I have that album here.

So, in 1957 this is what you would have got in a brand new broads cruiser.

Anybody want a time machine?

 

I seem to remember Newson had these in their fleet almost into the 80s and were called Falling Leaves, is that right?. Also, the first time i hired with Maffett cruisers in September 79-, John had one called Teal Wanderer. If memory serves me correct, they were quite big for an aft cockpit boat at 31ft, and were very spacious inside. I wish they were still on hire now, i`d hire one imediately, but back then i was a 21 year old who wanted the the cheapest most modern boat i could find.

 

[JanetAnne]

5 minutes ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

 

I seem to remember Newson had these in their fleet almost into the 80s and were called Falling Leaves, is that right?. Also, the first time i hired with Maffett cruisers in September 79-, John had one called Teal Wanderer. If memory serves me correct, they were quite big for an aft cockpit boat at 31ft, and were very spacious inside. I wish they were still on hire now, i`d hire one imediately, but back then i was a 21 year old who wanted the the cheapest most modern boat i could find.

 

Yes you are right. Originally Falling Leaves and Autumn Leaves before becoming Falling Leaves 1 & 2.

Falling Leaves 2 is still about somewhere on the broads but not in good condition

[doolallydave]

Hi ... to add to JanetAnne's bit about Leo Robinson 33 called "Kristi Lou" ... this was bought by my grandfather Bert Youngs & hired by the family out of Stokesby under Broadbeers Red Wale fleet till 71 when it was sold (next-door to Bells Craft ? also in Stokesby) along with the rest of his "Lou" cruisers (due to a serious road accident whilst showing the new "fridge-safe" device that stopped all those burnt-out cruisers from gas fridges in the 60's at the EarlsCourt boat show). The photo is of Bert circa 67 in Kristi Lou for a hire brochure. Of the few materials left over from his decade running the fleet is a box of 100 ceramic Red Whales that I assume were given to hirers as a momento.

Dave, grandson

[Bound2Please]

8 hours ago, doolallydave said:

ceramic Red Whales that I assume were given to hirers as a momento.

Dave, grandson

A warm to the Forum Dave, from me and The Wench (Some call her Inge) Nice to see the old pictures

Charlie

[Hockham Admiral]

Welcome Aboard from us too, Dave.

It sounds as if you have some interesting stories to tell!     

[Regulo]

As this wonderful thread has been re-activated, does anyone know if there are any of these still around? Originally Petit Barsac from Bondon's at South Walsham. When I was about 10, I promised my mum she and I would hire one when i grew up! I never did. Hire one or grow up!

Pic from Craig's boat list.

 

[socrates]

On 1/5/2016 at 18:56, Regulo said:

I vividly remember seeing Broadland Kittiwake under construction at Somerleyton. My uncle booked her for the next year, her first season. The smell of the wood in the boatshed stays with me to this day, it almost knocked me backwards! Kittiwake is being restored above Potter at present, and I had the very great pleasure of visiting her a few years ago. Brought good memories of simpler times. 

We are the owners of Broadland Grebe and are currently restoring her at Somerleyton. We are on the rivers every summer in between winter restorations. 

[Vaughan]

Welcome to the forum, Socrates! You certainly come with the right credentials, with that boat. Remember them well!

[riyadhcrew]

to the forum. Looking forward to reading a lot more.

[Regulo]

The Ripplecraft boats had a keel cooled engine, as I recall. Lots of people pointing out, "There's no water from your exhaust, you'll overheat!".

Socrates, welcome, and do keep us updated with your progress. 

[socrates]

5 minutes ago, Regulo said:

The Ripplecraft boats had a keel cooled engine, as I recall. Lots of people pointing out, "There's no water from your exhaust, you'll overheat!".

Socrates, welcome, and do keep us updated with your progress. 

We had to replace the old keel cooled Lister with a Nanni 50, the liners were split and there was a hole in the piston. It was at the point when repair was simply not economical. 

[Regulo]

I remember the Lister, and having been re-acquainted with it a few years ago when I was kindly invited aboard another Ripplecraft restoration project, it was even bigger than I remember! I bet the Nanni looks a bit lost under there!

[socrates]

Happy to keep anyone who is interested updated on our progress with Broadland Grebe. We tend to keep off forums and avoid events after a bad experience at the wooden boat meeting at Beccles a couple of years back. However, we have met some wonderful people who are not pass remarkable about our messy cabin sides, don't suck their teeth and claim we are naive to have gone into this project. We knew what we were taking on and spent a considerable time planning how we were going to climb this mountain. My advice to anyone thinking about taking on such a project is to think, think, think and let the head rule the heart. 

However, we are now in a position to come out of the woodwork. At the moment we are replacing the decks and cabin sides, having "completed" the major work on the hull and fitted a new mahogany transom over the past three years. Things were bad when we could put our fingers through the old marine ply transom,  it was so bad we were lucky it did not fall off whilst we were cruising!