slides of the 70s!

[C.Ricko]

Hello peoples,

A couple of years or so ago I was given some slides from photos taken by an employee in the 70s around the time Dad was moving his Horizoncraft boat building business to Catfield when he sold to Rank,(1974) I dug them out for another reason but thought I would scan them and share them with whoever is interested,

The first three pictures are of 'Reclez' a Horizon 43, this boat was never paid for, she ended up catching fire in the Solent....

The '43 was a John Bennet design, his 'signature' is the three bladed transom, some broads boats were also designed by him later.

I will put some more up when I have scanned them..

[C.Ricko]

I scanned another as that is all of the '43 slides, sorry about the quality of them, I do have some photos of another at work which I will try and remember to get and add to this thread...

The Crane looks very much like the one we have at the yard now! (not been in use for a few years now)

this next photo has a cortina MKIII in it,

edit as i saw the numberplate on the crane, we must have bought it from Abbey!

[jillR]

hi clive

a smart looking boat

jill

[pks1702]

That looks a substantial craft Clive.

Thanks for posting them - a Mark 111 Cortina now I do have fond memories of those

[Dan]

... a Mark 111 Cortina now I do have fond memories of those

Ah yes me too. I remember us kids all stood in the doorway waiting to see if it was going to start as my Dad tried to encourage it out of the garage! Nine times out of ten he would flood it or it wouldn't play and we'd all be back in the house and have to wait ten minutes then try again. Happy days!

An impressive looking boat Clive. Have you any photos of the Horizon factory in production?!

Dan

[C.Ricko]

Hi,

I dont have any good pictures of the sheds in production, I have seen some but ages ago when I didnt know what a scanner was, now I cant remember who had them.

the Horizon 43 was a really good seagoing boat but it was not as good looking as the Moonraker 36.

apart from Moonraker no one elce was building this scale of boat round here (or anywhere I think?)

[Antares_9]

What a purposeful looking ship, timeless design wouldn’t look out of place today.

[Guest]

The '43 was a John Bennet design, his 'signature' is the three bladed transom, some broads boats were also designed by him later.

Ah John Bennet - he knew how to to design good ships he did.

[C.Ricko]

What a purposeful looking ship, timeless design wouldn’t look out of place today.

I was looking at the photos this morning and said to my Dad that if you cut the hull down to the line where the first rubber is you would end up with a Aquafibre 42' hull, (a J.B. design) like our Superior Gems. I think he missed a trick there!

I think we only built about 10 of them.....

[Guest]

Given that the boat in my avatar is a John Bennet design, it sounds like he was a busy man.

[C.Ricko]

Given that the boat in my avatar is a John Bennet design, it sounds like he was a busy man.

he designed the superline 35 for us at the time too

[Springsong]

Great photos Clive . I had not remembered that Horizon built sea going kit, impressive.

John Benett also designed for Broom , and he was a student of Rip Martens along with Andy Wolstenholm, so there has to be an element of insestuness in all these designs. Insestuness now there is a word, if it indeed is a word.

[Antares_9]

Insestuness now there is a word, if it indeed is a word.

Not really Barry but incestuousness is, you should know that, being from Norfolk and all

Yours truly.

Mr A Pedant.

[Guest]

Not really Barry but incestuousness is, you should know that, being from Norfolk and all

He did know that David, he just spelt it in Norfolkese.

The Mirage was not the only Fairline model designed by John Bennett either. The 32 Sedan (nice boat, I want one) is also one of his. As old the boats mentioned appear to have been designed in the 70's I would guess that his wife, if he had one, didn't see much of him during that decade.

[Guest]

Hi Clive

realy nice photos there anychance you know what engines she had in her?? love to take her for a test run

Clive do you think you will be building any seagoing cruisers in the future?

I would like to see a seagoing version of the bounty traveler

a bit of an off chance but do you have any old photo's of your dad getting stuck in working on his boats Clive?

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

Hi Clive

realy nice photos there anychance you know what engines she had in her?? love to take her for a test run

Clive do you think you will be building any seagoing cruisers in the future?

I would like to see a seagoing version of the bounty traveler

a bit of an off chance but do you have any old photo's of your dad getting stuck in working on his boats Clive?

Jonny

Hi Jonny,

they had various engines GM, Volvo, Perkins, Dad just told me one was fitted with 4 outboards! The one in the pictures had GM engines.

I would love to build a 50 x 14 foot fast offshore thing as I have a idea that one day I would like to drive to the Med and back from my house via the french canals.

When my dad was young enough to work they didnt have cameras I think from between 1970 and 1985 he spent most of his time with his head in his hands

[pks1702]

One for sale here: http://www.sussexboats.co.uk/offshore-1 ... heelhouse/

[Guest]

Nice looking boat Perry. A proper ship. Not sure about those folder garden chairs on the flybridge though and I wonder if the cuban cigar on the helm goes with the boat.

[C.Ricko]

Wow, thats a lot of money, mind you I think they were built to last forever, I think this one was for sale about 3 years ago, not sure how much for.

I think this one sold for about £50K around the same time..

http://www.boatshed.com/horizon_43-boat-22131.html

They both look in very good condition for a 35 year old boat, I hope someone near me buys her so that I can look at her without the expence of owning her!

[Brian]

I think we need a area dedicated to the Historic Broads

Clive are you OK if i move this thread there ?

[Springsong]

Dear Mr. Pedant. Shirely you cannot believe me, a well know obscurist to be of an incestuous nature just b'cos oi lives in n'fick, can yew ?

Clive

Good strong looking boats, and when you go through the French canals count me in, a long time ambition of mine. I should have gone with Harry when he took the Francis Molly through in the eighties. Old story when you have the money you do not have the time. Work always gets in the way of a good long holiday.

[Antares_9]

Dear Mr. Pedant. Shirely you cannot believe me, a well know obscurist to be of an incestuous nature just b'cos oi lives in n'fick, can yew ?

[C.Ricko]

Hi Brian,

No problem, move as you please! I was going to ask if it is in the wrong section anyway but thought it would have been offshore.

You are right, Thanks.

Barry,

lets see if I ever get round to it eh

[Guest]

ahh yes i could see my self at the helm of one of those Clive

not a bad layout inside

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

Hi,

not a slide but a picture of 'Atlantic Horizon' the first one out of the mould, here she is on Kingfisher quay at Stalham, we traded in a Moonraker for her, she sold to a chemist from Yarmouth....