Old Broads Boats

[marshman]

I wonder if anyone knows how many of those big trip boats were around in their heyday???

[RS2021]

26 minutes ago, wombat nee blownup said:

How the chuff did it get to Falkirk?

Left at Gt Yarmouth?!

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, wombat nee blownup said:

How the chuff did it get to Falkirk?
 

Probably the same way I got my Harvey Eastwood back from Bowling at the other end of the F&C: John Shepherd Transport (other firms are available). They specialise in moving big boats and you have to wait until they have a return load to keep the cost down. Although on second thoughts, it may be a bit too big to go by road.

[webntweb]

A couple of unusual looking boats from Blakes 63 brochure - copyright Blakes.

Also one from Hoseasons 63 - copyright Hoseasons

[Happy]

1 hour ago, webntweb said:

A couple of unusual looking boats from Blakes 63 brochure - copyright Blakes.

Also one from Hoseasons 63 - copyright Hoseasons

A mate and myself hired 'River Ant' in the early 60's.  It was the first boat I had actually hired on my own (no parents).

We could only have been around 17.  Fairly inexperienced regarding speed etc.  Looking at the posted 'photo and seeing the bow wave it could have been us on it?!  Learnt my lesson VERY quickly.

[Turnoar]

63... probably quite early to be stating these boats won’t pass under Potter. Quirky design for shore!

[webntweb]

3 hours ago, Happy said:

A mate and myself hired 'River Ant' in the early 60's.  It was the first boat I had actually hired on my own (no parents).

We could only have been around 17.  Fairly inexperienced regarding speed etc.  Looking at the posted 'photo and seeing the bow wave it could have been us on it?!  Learnt my lesson VERY quickly.

I remember the River class but was surprised when I found them in the 1963 brochure - I would have said more late 60s early 70s.

[VetChugger]

Didn't one of the yards at Reedham run a boat of a similar design shape to "River" for a while??

Had a memory "revival"! Sanderson Marine and "Sandplover" had a vaguely similar profile.

[Vaughan]

13 hours ago, webntweb said:

 

From memory, this looks like one of the "Alice" class from Richardsons, called Brer Rabbit, March hare, Mad Hatter, etc. I think they originally came from Leo Robinsons at Oulton.

There were also Tweedledum and Tweedledee, which Richardsons took out of the fleet in the 60's and used them as tow boats.

[trambo]

9 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

 

From memory, this looks like one of the "Alice" class from Richardsons, called Brer Rabbit, March hare, Mad Hatter, etc. I think they originally came from Leo Robinsons at Oulton.

There were also Tweedledum and Tweedledee, which Richardsons took out of the fleet in the 60's and used them as tow boats.

They came from the Neatishead Boatyard before passing to Richardsons. Looked a little dated even as new. The Roach class I always presumed was built for the H. C. Banham fleet but can not verify. 

 

10 hours ago, Turnoar said:

63... probably quite early to be stating these boats won’t pass under Potter. Quirky design for shore!

Blakes always seemed to be much more honest than Hoseasons in their brochure descriptions at this time.

8 hours ago, webntweb said:

I remember the River class but was surprised when I found them in the 1963 brochure 

The first River class, "Bure" was built for the 1961 season. They ended up at Dawncraft in Wroxham with the sliding roof replaced by a pram type cover. 

Fred

[trambo]

Nowt to do so did a bit of investigating the Roach class. Seems they were rebuilt from the "Bell" class as reproduced here from the 1939 Blakes brochure. Dimensions and plan both the same. Notice in 1939 there were six in the class. Was one lost in the War or did it end up on the River Cam?

Comparison with the Roach class from 1965 Blakes brochure.

Fred

[grendel]

i think they are cute, are there any left afloat?

[webntweb]

According to Craig's lists the Roach class (without Dace) ended up at Southgate's but nothing shown after 1970.

[trambo]

45 minutes ago, webntweb said:

According to Craig's lists the Roach class (without Dace) ended up at Southgate's but nothing shown after 1970.

They operated both from Southgates ex Norfolk Holiday Boats yard before it was sold for housing and then the Lower Street yard (ex Percival) that out lived Southgates main yard and still exists today. In 1970 only Roach and Rudd were still available.

Fred

[Broads01]

It's fascinating to look at a boat like the Roach class and see how much customer expectations have changed since it was on hire.  There was minimal living space, no shower, a combined saloon/sleeping cabin and no fridge. From the plan, it looks like the boat was so small the "galley" (what there was of it) was out in the cockpit. Was that the case? 

[Vaughan]

5 hours ago, Broads01 said:

From the plan, it looks like the boat was so small the "galley" (what there was of it) was out in the cockpit. Was that the case? 

This actually shows how the early motor cruisers were not much more than converted yachts. You can even see how the low, white part of the hull looks like a yacht, with an extra varnished part on top. The steering wheel is just a simple affair on the bulkhead and the canopy performs the same role as the awning over the aft well of a yacht. In the cabin are two berths either side of a central table, just like a yacht.

This boat was obviously not a converted yacht, but you can see where the design came from!

[trambo]

10 hours ago, Broads01 said:

It's fascinating to look at a boat like the Roach class and see how much customer expectations have changed since it was on hire.  There was minimal living space, no shower, a combined saloon/sleeping cabin and no fridge. From the plan, it looks like the boat was so small the "galley" (what there was of it) was out in the cockpit. Was that the case? 

I think to be fair by the late 50s they were your bargain basement choice. Note they only had a two ring cooker. Not even a grill. There were other similar small budget boats around like Percival's Peter Pan class and Freeman's Gleetime and all very popular until the 60s. I think we have to judge by the standards of the day. People only had a bath once a week, unless in an industry like mining you had a dedicated bath night. People used safes or evaporator cabinets instead of refrigerators and people put more cloths on when it got chilly rather than light the fire in summer! 

In saying that you could hire larger craft pre-war with running hot water and baths. Heating was introduced in the early 50s but suddenly stopped, I presume there must have been carbon monoxide issues. It was reintroduced widely by the mid 60s with the introduction of catalytic units and hot air systems. Refrigeration was to some extent solved by Blakes Ice Box scheme which was countered by Hoseasons through B.O.A. bulk buying small gas operated 'fridges. I remember Blakes then banning gas 'fridges as dangerous  although the issue seems to have been resolved after just one season. Showers became very popular in the 60s and 70s. In a Broads Diary I kept in 1971 64% of Blakes boats and 56% of Hoseasons boats were so fitted. No idea how the figure was worked out, so not sure of accuracy. The one luxury with doesn't seem to have taken off is dishwashers which Jack Powles introduced on their Superstar class.

Fred

 

[webntweb]

On 22/05/2020 at 17:09, webntweb said:

Broads 01 said:

It's fascinating to look at a boat like the Roach class and see how much customer expectations have changed since it was on hire.  There was minimal living space, no shower, a combined saloon/sleeping cabin and no fridge. From the plan, it looks like the boat was so small the "galley" (what there was of it) was out in the cockpit. Was that the case? 

re the galley - it certainly looks that way but it could be that whoever drew the plan just put the saloon doors in the wrong place.

Speaking about difference in expectations, Happy Wanderer's blurb states "Convenient separate toilet with WC and washbasin". Perhaps harking back to when some smaller yachts had a washbasin in the saloon under a lift up worktop and if I remember rightly some had the same arrangement for the toilet!

[trambo]

Happy Wanderer has a nice unusual appearance. It had been rebuilt in 1955 to look like this. Neat layout but must have been a bit cosy when 3 onboard. Bet that Penta was a bit noisy. Liked the Little Ships fleet, always well presented.

Fred

[webntweb]

This one isn't ex broads but I think it is an Aquafibre mould, possibly a Crown Classique, that has wandered a little far from home.

[trambo]

5 hours ago, webntweb said:

This one isn't ex broads but I think it is an Aquafibre mould, possibly a Crown Classique, that has wandered a little far from home.

Birkenhead Docks?

Fred

[Vaughan]

10 hours ago, trambo said:

Birkenhead Docks?

That would probably be a lot safer for a hire boat than where you see it, in Venice, in the same channel, outside the Doge's Palace, that is used by all the "joyriding" cruise ships. For some strange reason hire boats are allowed to cruise there, even though Italian law restricts them to a 35HP engine! At least they are not allowed up the Grand Canal in the middle of Venice, in among all the gondolas and water taxis. There is no mooring for hire boats in Venice either. You have to pay in a marina on one of the outer islands and then catch a ferry.

 

[oldgregg]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

For some strange reason hire boats are allowed to cruise there, even though Italian law restricts them to a 35HP engine! At least they are not allowed up the Grand Canal in the middle of Venice, in among all the gondolas and water taxis.

I bet a Crown Classique is pleasant with only 35hp 

#completehandful

[WherryNice]

20 hours ago, webntweb said:

This one isn't ex broads but I think it is an Aquafibre mould, possibly a Crown Classique, that has wandered a little far from home.

Looks like one of the Charter mouldings perhaps?

[oldgregg]

It became available as that, yeah, but they were I think designed for LeBoat / Crown. A huge number were built in the 90's.