Elsewhere in the magazine I’ve referred to the boat auction, which is held every April and October on a Thursday at Wroxham Broad. We are hooked on this as an interesting day out, and you never know what you might come back with! There is always an interesting selection of craft, ranging from a surfboard to a Broads cruiser, and lots of miscellaneous marine ‘toot’ — 644 items this year in the latter category alone. There were 21 inboard engines, 65 outboards, 23 assorted craft afloat, and on terra firma were 79 sailing boats of all sizes, 47 powered craft and 52 other craft. It might be of interest if I describe some of the more interesting lots.

When we arrived just before noon, the ‘misc. toot’ had been going for two hours, and the engines had also gone. At noon the sale of boats started, and as I walked to the creek I was stopped in my tracks by a very traditional Scottish Scaffie at the head of the creek: you just never know what will turn up. This fishing boat (with hold but no accommodation) had been built at Bridlington in 1966 to the traditional design with larch on oak, dipping lug, bowsprit and Lister twin. It looked as if it had popped in after a day’s fishing, but at £3500 did not reach its undisclosed reserve. A 20’ traditional Broads gaffer, with 2 berths, sold at £1300. Another “traditional centreplate yacht” of 18’ length and gunter rig fetched a modest £725.

After various craft, some looking like converted garden sheds, we returned to the car park, where the first item was an 8’ Broads yacht tender of clinker mahogany: a solid little craft with a rope fender but no paint — £50.

A 12’ o/board Norfolk fishing punt N + 276” fetched £5 but this interesting clinker boat was in poor condition, and perhaps more suitable for a museum. Another museum piece was an 8’ folding dinghy by Fairey Marine with oars, and 50 cc Yamaha O.B.M. This delightful little craft was like half a slightly elongated egg (cut lengthways) with hinges at the gunwales which as far as I could see only transformed it into half an egg cut the other way up! It looked cold moulded and the wooden ships had that lovely golden glow you see on some antique furniture. The little O.B.M. looked incongruous, but it all ran up to £95. I would have been frightened of spoiling it! An unusual style Norwegian built 16’ rowing boat with a rotten strake fetched £55. And so onto the sailers — you will appreciate that I’ve missed out all the Tupperware fishing dinghies, canoes and the like in between.

The first interesting sailing boat was a 16’ half decker by Johnson & Jago of Leigh-on-Sea; clinker, mahogany on oak with tabernacle, roller jib, and Bamber trailer with winch. This well used but nice looking boat went for a very modest £120. Then there was an open fishing boat in heavy gauge GRP with a deep hull, roller jib on a short bowsprit, standing lug and mizzen on alloy spars. With a 7.5 Mercury O.B.M. and heavy trailer it reached a round £1000. Practical rather than pretty.

My children looked on as a Pollycell Prout Puffin went for £40 and a Percy Blandford designed 7’6” Gremlin fetched £90. A hairy-looking 16’ wooden planing scow for £200, and an International 505 racer, which appeared sound but sail-less, went for an incredible £50, while a funny little 10 footer staggered up to £3.50!

A well varnished ‘traditional’ 12 foot clinker dinghy called Persephone seemed only average at £270 with trailer, though a casual inspection seemed to indicate some strakes had gone ‘walkies’ slightly. A most unusual boat, and apparently new, or virtually new, was a 21’ Newfoundland Dory, built of larch on oak, with tan leg of mutton main and jib. This long, lean (5’) boat with a flat bottom and centreboard (and trailer) did not reach its reserve at £930.

I was particularly interested to see a GRP Yorkshire Coble with nicely varnished woodwork as I have an almost identical boat (and I see another is advertised in the Spring Old Gaffers magazine for £1550). This one was very traditionally fitted out and rigged with a canvas dipping lug with heavy rope edging, and leather around the wooden gunwale where it attached. The top strakes (or should I say “strokes”) were the traditional red and blue, and the rudder was the correct very long, thin type with quarter mounting pintles on either side of the transom for whichever tack you are on. With an excellent breakback trailer it was withdrawn at £1450. The other one advertised also had a trailer and additionally a Seagull Silver Century. My Coble (Cobler) has a standing lugsail (in terry) and a boom on a gooseneck to improve windward performance. It also has a more conventional lifting rudder because of our east coast shoals. My one’s 2” bilge keels, or skegs have been enlarged to 11” deep unlike this one and I wondered how it sailed on the wind. I would be interested to hear from anyone else with similar Cobles, and I hope to be at Ipswich for the Maritime England rally.

One of the larger boats with character, though Bermudan rigged, was a 22’ centreboard cabin sloop, built in 1965 by Robertsons of Woodbridge to a Francis Jones design. Clinker built of mahogany on oak, with a Vire engine and a newish 4 wheel trailer, it fetched a modest £1650. A 16’ GRP Shetland Isles skiff double ender with standing lug and trailer was withdrawn at £660. Of the powered craft, only a 19’ vintage cabin launch with an Austin Seven engine was of interest. It was complete with some nice brass dials, levers and wheel but was in sad condition throughout and was withdrawn at only £90. It would have been a labour of love — if you love that sort of thing!

We did not come away empty handed. 3 medium fenders for £5; two 80’ hanks of new 100mm blue rope (i.e. man made) for £6.50 the pair; a smallish Campari inflatable — a chance at £2 — a canal lock windlass for £2; and a super little 7’6” Foil class plywood dinghy, with dagger board, rudder and gunter terry sail for only £50 — just as well I took the roof rack: its a good looker and ideal for the kids!

The auction is held by Hanbury Williams of Station Road, Wroxham, Norfolk (06053—2053). The next one there is on 7th October, and 20p in stamps plus an SAE will procure a brochure shortly before-hand. Even if you don’t succumb to temptation, it is a fascinating day out, both from the point of view of the boats — and also some of the human gaffers!