Norfolk Broads - wooden boats

Blakes Norfolk Broads hire cruisers from the mid 1950s

This page is dedicated to my father, who died on 11th September 2004, aged 84. These pictures are a memento of our happy family holidays on the Norfolk Broads in the 1950s.

Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view

Boats are Golden Foam and Dancing Foam, part of the Blakes holiday fleet from Jack Powles of Wroxham. A wooden Broads cruiser of similar style can be seen at the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum. Ellesmere Port is at the junction of the Shropshire Union and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Thanks to visitor Steve Day for the following comments after visiting this web page:-

"If I remember correctly the Foam class boats were owned by Jack Powles Wroxham. As a family we hired Missouri Star from Powles in the early 60s. We usually hired boats from N.C Banhams in Horning throughout the fifties/sixties, either Sirdar or Monarch class. It brought back memories to see a "Foam " again. Most of the pre war Broads boats were moored in groups during the war on the actual Broads to prevent German sea planes landing on open water. Certainly a lot of Woods boats were used in this way."

Craig Slawson has compiled a database of almost 20,000 Norfolk Broads boats from his observations over the last 37 years. Craig would welcome any additions to the database via his Boats of the Norfolk Broads website.

2nd January 2010 Site visitor Paul Walker asks - "Does anyone know anything about the Mistress of Light? She was built by Herbert Woods in the 1930s. Anything would be great."

and from Nick Hough - "Would anyone have any information about the old Norfolk Broads boats with the names of Toreador Trojan Tuscan or Talisman please. We own Toreador and would very much like to know any history of ours or the other 3."

9th September 2010 Site visitor Lorraine Thorpe asks - "I'm curious to know what happened to a boat named Silver Star, which my parents hired from Oulton Broad, which is called Topline Cruisers."

31st December 2010 A request from site visitor Lee Harris who asks - "Does anybody know what happened to the wooden boat "Amethyst" She was launched in 1971 from the Newson and sons yard in Lowestoft, 45ft long and under the hoseasons flag. Many a happy summer with my parents,I would love to tell them what happened to it."

8th December 2012 Maureen Bampton has a request. She says ' 2 years ago we bought a boat. It had come from Newark where it had been for 2 years. Before that we know it was on the broads for 10 years . It is a Bounty 30 and was called Watersdowne II. We have dropped the II. We think it maybe came from the Thames in 1999 when a lot of hire fleet was bought and returned to the Broads. We would be pleased to hear from anyone who has information or could help with finding history of "Watersdowne" regards Maureen & Pete'

If you have any information about any of the above, please sign the Guestbook and leave a valid
e-mail address. Note:- Your e-mail address won't be posted on the Guestbook page. I'll then contact Paul, Nick, Lorraine, Lee or Maureen on your behalf.

| More pictures from the 1950s |
| Ex Norfolk Broads hire cruiser from the 1940s - Owned privately since 1974|
| Norfolk Broads - Wooden Broads boats from the 1960s - page 1 and page 2 |
| Norfolk Broads - Blakes Holidays Afloat 1947 | | Canals - Main page |
| More about the Morris Marine Register |

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