wake surf mangusta 130

Windboat Design

I surveyed a lovely old wooden Broads Cruiser on Friday at Woods Dyke Boatyard in Horning on the Northern Broads. ‘Merrywind’ is classed as a Windboat design by Graham Bunn of Wroxham. She is a product of the era of the tall sided majestic looking wooden Broadland Motor Cruisers designed specifically for inland water ways use. She’s a real survivor, and has great charm and character. These boats were not particularly expensively built in the first place, but like Merrywind, she has proven to be persistently durable.

 

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Brainstorming session to improve our Broads waterways

Brainstorming talks to find a way to make the water and wetlands in and around the Broads healthier will be held on Wednesday 10th July in Norwich.

The Broadland Catchment Partnership, a range of organisations, groups and individuals with an interest in the area, will be exploring opportunities to improve our water environment by working with water companies, farmers and local communities.

The Broadland Catchment, which is 15 times bigger than the Broads and includes Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, is valuable for food, drinking water, wildlife habitat, recreation, beautiful views and a sense of well being.

Neil Punchard, Partnership Officer, said: “We are looking for novel solutions to issues that affect the water environment such as sediment entering the Broads. We’d like to hear people’s concerns and ideas to improve our waterways across the Broadland catchment. There’s something we can all do and we will be producing a plan which will highlight the roles we can all play.”

People with ideas for improving the catchment should contact Neil on neil.punchard@broads-authority.gov.uk
Notes to editors:  
         
The Evidence Workshop will be held at the Assembly House on July 10th   9am for 9.30am till 1pm. It is by invitation only.

The Broadland Catchment partnership aims to improve the local water environment for wildlife, angling, cleaner beaches, lower water bills, reduced flood risk, more sustainable farming and adapting to climate change.

Funding partners include the Broads Authority, the Environment Agency, Natural England and Essex & Suffolk Water. These organisations are represented on the Steering Group along with Farm Conservation, the Rivers Trust, Anglian Water and the Water Management Alliance. Farmers, landowners, anglers, canoeists, boaters, drainage boards, residents and businesses, local authorities and conservation organisations are represented at workshops.

Wood or Fibreglass!

I’ve finally found myself a decent sized boat after months of searching…. a Grand Banks 42 Classic. Hull number 287 one of the last Woodies built before they were produced in fibreglass. She was built by American Marine Limited which began operation in Hong Kong, later moved to Singapore and finally to Malaysia where production is now headquartered. She has been meticulously hand built of wood. The hull is planked with heavy, very durable mahogany; the frames are yacal, a tough tropical hardwood. Finely-fitted and richly-hued teak is used generously throughout the interior. 2 x diesel 120hp Ford Lehmans provide the propulsion.

American Marine (now Grand Banks) started a revolution in boating with the introduction of the "Trawler Yacht". No computer automation here; based upon traditional workboat lines each boat was meticulously hand built of wood by Asian shipwrights. The "Trawler Yacht" proved to be safe, comfortable, economical and remarkably successful. The first GB was launched in Hong Kong in 1965.

She’s sitting on Loch Ness in Inverness Scotland at the moment. She’s to high to transport by road so she will have to come back to Norfolk down the East Coast. Should be another interesting story for anothe Blog!



Mum and Blue enjoying a few days in Scotland...

After a few years hard work!

Falcon Capriole 1080

Today’s assignment was at the Brundall based Norfolk Yacht Agency Surveying this Falcon Capriole 1080 Cruiser. Stelco UK Ltd built the boat. Wroxham Marine I think are now located in the boat shed used by the old Falcon Yard, then Stelco, and some of the old crew work at the ‘up and coming’ Ferry Marine in Horning.

She is a stylish boat with a surprisingly roomy interior and offers great accommodation for a family to cruise the Norfolk Broads and other waterways. She was extremely well built and the systems were typical of the Falcon build. Stelco UK in Norwich un-doubtably employed some good craftsmen at this period who have constructed the boat into something of a prestigious luxury Motor Cruiser.