Behind closed doors.....

[C.Ricko]

Ok, I thought this may be of interest to a few of you boaty folk, most people can wander onto a boatyard and have a look about but when the weather is cold and the doors are shut what goes on in those sheds?

these first three pictures are taken in the 'Black Hangar' (the one along the road)

Mick brings his boats from Acle to get them off the rough windswept riverbanks during the winter he takes over this shed and gives it back about Easter time.

this shed also houses our vehicle mainenance, Machine shop, engineering workshop, electricians workshop, window workshop, wood machinary and stores.

I may put photos of some of these areas up some other time....

[Jim]

Nice one Clive and I'd reckon quite a few folk would be keen to see what happens inside the bigger yard sheds over winter. They always seem to be busy in the big sheds in Wroxham (on the right as you approach the bridge) but you never get an idea of whats happening "behind closed doors" so to speak.

Now, a big boatshed like that is ideal if you are doing a bit of DIY on the hard during winter. I remember well working on our Falcon winter 04/05 when she was on hard stand at Ferry and if I remember right, the weather chucked everything it could in my way, including some heavy snow in late March 1 week before the big lift back in.

So there I was stood out in a howling blizzard with 8 fenders hanging over me shoulder and looking pretty fed up when along came Mark (of Ferry at the time)..Next year he said, "if you want, I can tow your boat up to my barn at home as we put a few people in there every winter...it's much better and warmer"..there won't be a next year says I....."why, are you getting out of boating?"...Nope, next year I'll pay you to do it!

Keep up with the pics Clive please

[Guest]

Hi Clive

very impressive

few Aquafibers one Alpha

more Horizons

Jonny

[Happy Jax 3]

Hi Clive

I think I can recognise 2 Dawn Horizon's and 2 Glistening Horizons in the first photo.

We hired a Dawn Horizon just over ten years ago when our youngest son Connor was 6 week old.

[Palmtree]

Hi,

Good to get an inside view of a working yard.

Looking at all the boats packed in there it reminds me of a Summer Sunday morning on the Bure

Just out of curiosity how do you move the boats about on land?

Ian

[C.Ricko]

Hi Ian,

we move the boats around with 'Bigfoot' a hoist which we drive down the slip and pick the boats up, we can then set the boats down where we want. Bigfoot came from Powles in Wroxham when they shut, I dont have a photo, if there is not one posted by monday I will take a photo.

We used to use bomb trolleys, gantry and Jacks, we would pack 45 boats in the black hanger and 48 in the Ponderosa.

The Ponderosa is the shed in the background of this picture......

[jimbo]

Clive, do you ever loose boats?? I dont mean stolen but like " Where the hell did we put such and such "

[C.Ricko]

Clive, do you ever lose boats?? I dont mean stolen but like " Where the hell did we put such and such "

I must admit I have spent time in the past looking for boats only during the winter, there were more of them then and the 3 back basins were used for the fleet so there were more places to 'loose' them but it's not too bad.

Here are some pics of the Ponderosa...

our fiberglass shop is in this shed and joinery/ wood machinery

[Guest]

Hi Clive

Look at all those cruisers brings a warm glow 8-)

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

Jonny, I think the warm glow is from my cheapo work camera

This pic is also not too good it is the new bit of Quay headding in the Wet shed, it is 'work in progress' but looking good, the shed is the same construction as the black hanger, a T2 aircraft hanger, it has a 120ft clear span giving about 100ft of water, the shed is 300ft long. the new bit is 170 ft.

all the sheds were put up with ropes and pulleys, Dad used an old wherry 'Lorna Doone' with a pulley on the mast to hoist it up. Lorna Doone was the pleasure wherry belonig to the Coleman family, she is burried between Heron and Merlin Quays...

[Dan]

Hi Clive

Interesting stuff!

The wet shed's an interesting one too, quite a rarety I guess, the new quayheading looks good and I guess will make the shed much more useable and created more moorings that can be let out. I keep thinking of the few Elysian's and the Safari's that you had in there last time I was over... looked great little projects to tinker on with and keep my stress levels up and my bank balance in the red!! Must be strong!

As well asbeing interesting to see some of the behind the scenes shots I think it must be interesting to see that although you have the largest fleet you also have the best facilities and are well set up to look after them all. Not only can you work the Stalham fleet through you're sheds but there's enough space for Acle's boats too!

Dan

[C.Ricko]

Dan,

there is only 1 Safari left now and a few less Elysians, the Seamaster in the wetshed photo is the 'roughest of the rough'! I imagine she may hang about for a little while waiting for the right owner.

We are well set up, we even have our own propellers cast and balance and bore them out ourselves. we also make our own prop shafts, when a long shaft in a boat wears out we make it into two short shafts for different boats, when they wear out they become rudder shafts, that is one of the many ways we amuse ourselves

[Guest]

Hi Clive

looking at the inside of those wetshed not as bad as i first thought.

is that an Alpha next to that sexy Powles

Jonny

[Palmtree]

We are well set up, we even have our own propellers cast and balance and bore them out ourselves. we also make our own prop shafts, when a long shaft in a boat wears out we make it into two short shafts for different boats, when they wear out they become rudder shafts, that is one of the many ways we amuse ourselves

Good traditional Engineering

Ian

[NeilB]

looked great little projects to tinker on with and keep my stress levels up and my bank balance in the red!! Must be strong!

I would be seriously tempted as well except that if I even spent 1 penny on another boat I shudder to think what my wife would do to me

Great pics as well, especially of the wet shed.

[C.Ricko]

I will try and take a better pic of the wet shed but they always seem to come out a bit dark . A freelance journalist from Classic Boat magasine rang me before Christmas wanting to do a feature on the wet shed, he recons it is the biggest in the UK. I dont know if he is right, I suppose a shipyard or the MOD must have bigger.

The boat next to the Powles is Radiant Gem a Bounty and there is a Horizon 35 there too.

[Guest]

The boat next to the Powles is Radiant Gem a Bounty and there is a Horizon 35 there too.

Hi Clive

I am shure that Blue cruiser looked like an Alpha (Time for a pair of specs one thinks )

[newf]

Few more pics with Clives permision. Wet shed ones are best double clicked on to enlarge

[Guest]

Hi Col

very nice shots

Jonny

[Guest]

hey clive

whats the deal with the loyalty card

i may qualify after 35 years loyalty

i want san luis end of september

but dont know about the scheme

any info......

[Dan]

Robbie - Click on the link to this thread where it's fully explained & to what extent you can 'backdate' it - to when it was introduced basically last year, and assuming you book direct of course

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4343

Dan

[Guest]

thanks dan

in the currant climate

got to try and get some discount

or is it me just being tight

[C.Ricko]

hey clive

whats the deal with the loyalty card

i may qualify after 35 years loyalty

i want san luis end of september

but dont know about the scheme

any info......

Hi Blackpool11,

did you not get a brochure?

or have you nor read it cover to cover

you should have one if you came last year.

If you booked via us then San Luis would count.

bookings are looking good and we are not doing any discounts over and above the norm,

if you ask the booking staff they will tell you what the deals are at the moment.

[C.Ricko]

Few more pics with Clives permision. Wet shed ones are best double clicked on to enlarge

good pics Colin, in the second picture all the boats on the left have been moved except the bermuda which will be turned to face the sheds, the basin looks massive now with virtually no boats, the roadways are going down this week and the electric / water points are being chosen ready for installation.

the wet shed picture is a good one too, there should be a 'new' boat joining you this weekend, although she will go to the other side as she is a bit longer.

I will post some pictures of the outside moorings on a new thread when they are nearly finished

[C.Ricko]

I took this picture of 'Bigfoot' today, the boat is lifted high so it is easier to steam clean,

the machine is driven by hydraulics from a BMC 2.5,