Norfolk Broads - wooden boats : (More boating at Canals & Inland Waterways - uk)

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 over 31,00 Norfolk Broads boats from his observations over the last 40 years. Craig would welcome any additions to the database via his Boats of the Norfolk Broads website.

November 2014 The owners of Sorrento Star wrote to say - "We have recently acquired a Norfolk Broads River cruiser called Sorrento Star which appeared in the Blakes holiday brochures in the 1950's. We are trying to date her and believe her to be built either in 1939 or around 1951." If you have any information please use the contact form. Many thanks

August 2013 D. Walker requests 'Looking for Info on any Loynes boats that are still around.Day boats and cruisers.We had Holidays on there Glen boats and regular day boats from the late 1950s onwards until the 1970s.'

December 2012 Maureen Bampton had a request. She said ' 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'

Earlier requests

In January 2010 Site visitor Paul Walker asked - "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."

In September 2010 Site visitor Lorraine Thorpe asked - "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."

In December 2010 A request from site visitor Lee Harris who asked - "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."

If you have any information about any of the above, please use the Contact Form and leave a valid e-mail address.

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