Boat Identification

[Piers]

Good afternoon all,

I’ve not posted on here before, but it seems like a good place to try for what is almost certainly a very long shot: can anybody help to identify this boat?

There’s not a lot to go on other than pictures, I’m afraid. Length is roughly 5m, beam 2.5m or thereabouts. No visible VIN or manufacturer name anywhere on the boat that I can find. At some point, I think it must have had a roof or canopy on it.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

 

[Smoggy]

That looks very much like a norman, have a look at normanboats.co.uk and click the Norman Brochures button and you should be able to find it.

[webntweb]

Looks like a Norman 20. Possibly a Norman 18 but looks a little too modern for one of those.

[Smoggy]

Are you sure it's only 5 metres? The lack of porthole behind the side window and the shape of the cockpit side with damage to the down slope makes me think Norman conquest with aft cabin chopped off but that would be 20' 3".

Also the ali framed windows rules out the early Norman 18 as they had rubbered fitted windows.

[MauriceMynah]

Nope! Norman 18 for sure. the 18 didn't have the porthole and was (amazingly) 2 ft shorter.

[JennyMorgan]

Norman boats here:

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki2018/index.php?title=Norman_Boats_(Heywood,_Lancashire)

[Smoggy]

Those window frames still don't look right for an 18 to me, the 18.5 had opening side windows but the fronts were still rubber fitted, the 20 had ali frames.

 

[MauriceMynah]

Smoggy, The ladyline sheet you show is of an older model the later ones had windows as you describe. Have a look at the link Jenny Morgan has supplied.

[Piers]

What a great response. Thank you all for your replies and expertise. I had next to no hope of getting this boat identified, but clearly came to the right place.

[JennyMorgan]

12 minutes ago, Piers said:

but clearly came to the right place.

Indeed you did and welcome! Tell us, please, is this a restoration project or just curiosity on your part? Is she on Ellough Airfield? Yes, we are nosy people here, we just like to know! 

[WherryNice]

Some more info here https://normanboats.net/

Could be a Norman 18.5 Mk3(no port hole)according to info on the above website.

[Piers]

1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

Indeed you did and welcome! Tell us, please, is this a restoration project or just curiosity on your part? Is she on Ellough Airfield? Yes, we are nosy people here, we just like to know! 

Jenny, yes, bit of a project. Just started out. We’ve got her under cover now but she had indeed been sitting on Elliott Airfield. Don’t know how long she was out there but one of the first jobs is to pump a fair bit of mucky water out of her...

[Piers]

34 minutes ago, WherryNice said:

Some more info here https://normanboats.net/

Could be a Norman 18.5 Mk3(no port hole)according to info on the above website.

Thanks!

[JennyMorgan]

53 minutes ago, Piers said:

Jenny, yes, bit of a project. Just started out.

Thank you for your response, don't know that airfield but it did look familiar.

Please keep us posted, we might even be able to help. If one forumite is stumped by your question then another one is bound to come along who actually does know what they are talking about. For example, if you want to know how to fit a wine chiller or handbag and high heel locker then we all know a man who can. Trouser presses and shoe polishers might have us stumped though.

[Smoggy]

Bit of a project maybe but all the makings of a trailerable go anywhere weekend boat, the hulls on the old normans were built pretty sturdy, I had an 18.5 for a couple of years before getting a 25 for a few years.

[Piers]

1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

Thank you for your response, don't know that airfield but it did look familiar.

Please keep us posted, we might even be able to help. If one forumite is stumped by your question then another one is bound to come along who actually does know what they are talking about. For example, if you want to know how to fit a wine chiller or handbag and high heel locker then we all know a man who can. Trouser presses and shoe polishers might have us stumped though.

Yes, I’ll certainly post progress as I go. Plenty to do and lots to ask about!

[Piers]

1 hour ago, Smoggy said:

Bit of a project maybe but all the makings of a trailerable go anywhere weekend boat, the hulls on the old normans were built pretty sturdy, I had an 18.5 for a couple of years before getting a 25 for a few years.

That’s good to hear! This is possibly a daft question, but what do you mean by ‘go anywhere’? I’ve made the assumption that the boat is intended for the rivers and broads, and isn’t to be taken to sea, so are there particularly adverse conditions that the rivers can throw up? I hear Breydon Water can be quite interesting at times, for example...

[CambridgeCabby]

By go anywhere , I would imagine that refers to being able to pass under the low bridges ie Potter Heigham , Wroxham , Beccles and Trowse

[Piers]

23 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

By go anywhere , I would imagine that refers to being able to pass under the low bridges ie Potter Heigham , Wroxham , Beccles and Trowse

Ah, that makes sense!

[Smoggy]

Yes as CC says, low bridges no problem, shallow water no big problem, it would be fine on breydon but I wouldn't fancy taking it out to sea but it would probably be ok in good conditions with a decent engine on the back.

One bit to watch on normans is the wood inside the transom (sandwiched in the grp), worth a few drillings from inside to see if it's good or rotten/water soaked, not a big problem up to about 10hp but dodgy with a bigger motor hanging on it, you can cut out and replace from inside and re-glass over if needed but best checked before fitting cockpit out so you have good access.

[grendel]

12 hours ago, Piers said:

Jenny, yes, bit of a project. Just started out. We’ve got her under cover now but she had indeed been sitting on Elliott Airfield. Don’t know how long she was out there but one of the first jobs is to pump a fair bit of mucky water out of her...

well the silver lining in that is that if it holds water inside, it will also hold water outside and float

[JennyMorgan]

11 hours ago, Smoggy said:

One bit to watch on normans is the wood inside the transom (sandwiched in the grp), worth a few drillings from inside to see if it's good or rotten/water soaked, not a big problem up to about 10hp but dodgy with a bigger motor hanging on it, you can cut out and replace from inside and re-glass over if needed but best checked before fitting cockpit out so you have good access.

If anyone is considering replacing the timber of the transom then I would suggest that the wood is NOT glassed over. I would clean off the transom and then use a decent hardwood, decent bedding compound and stainless through bolts. Keep the timber well oiled and it should last until doomsday. The exposed outboard bracket on my Drascombe is over forty years old and is probably as strong as when it was installed. Encapsulated transom boards have a hard life, what with screws, mounting clamps etc breaking the integrity of the seal.

[Piers]

On 13/03/2021 at 20:59, Smoggy said:

Yes as CC says, low bridges no problem, shallow water no big problem, it would be fine on breydon but I wouldn't fancy taking it out to sea but it would probably be ok in good conditions with a decent engine on the back.

One bit to watch on normans is the wood inside the transom (sandwiched in the grp), worth a few drillings from inside to see if it's good or rotten/water soaked, not a big problem up to about 10hp but dodgy with a bigger motor hanging on it, you can cut out and replace from inside and re-glass over if needed but best checked before fitting cockpit out so you have good access.

Wonderful info, thank you.

[Piers]

On 14/03/2021 at 05:54, grendel said:

well the silver lining in that is that if it holds water inside, it will also hold water outside and float

Haha, yes, that’s a good point!