Waterhen

 In 2012 we were looking for a small runabout boat to use from our house on the Norfolk Broads (Halcyon). Looking around on line, we came across a small wooden motor boat for sale in Caversham that seem to meet our requirements. It immediately thought what a great boat design and bought her.

We moved her to Norfolk and she sat in our mooring.

We used her to travel up and down the broads, mostly from Martham to Potter Heigham and was admired everywhere she went.

She also regularly took us to The Pleasure Boat Inn across Hickling broad and we jerry-rigged navigation lights so the children could drive us back in the dark.

All seemed well for several years, we knew the the ply on the deck was needing attention, but she was running well. 

 Then I noticed that there was active woodworm in the bow. I attempted some remedial treatment and started looking for help in getting here back to ship shape.

  A bit of history: Waterhen has a small plaque on her dashboard stating that she was shown at the Olympia Boat Show in 1954/55. This was the first London Boat Show and shared Olympia with a circus. The boat show was separated by a heavy canvas curtain from the elephants.

This is the advert for Waterhen that was placed in the boat show. It cost £215 without engine at a time when the average house cost £1,800, so it was not cheap.

 We don' know a great amount about the Harland Motor Company. It ceased trading in the 1970's.
We purchased Waterhen from someone who made wooden bathing platforms for boats, and he said he bought it from a couple who were travel writers who lived on a narrow boat and used Waterhen as a tender.

When it came to finding somewhere to get the boat repaired, we approached several boat yards but did not feel that they were either interested or competent to do the kind of job that this old boat deserved. Then we found a wooden boat for sale that had been restored at the IBTC (International Boatbuilding Training College) . On further investigation we found out they would take some projects on for students to work on. We offered Waterhen and they accepted her.

Here is Waterhen in October 2017. The deck and interior have been stripped out and several hull planks are in the process of being replaced. The keel has been replaced and transom needs to be replaced as does the deck. The hull planks are Canadian spruce.

The current guestimate is that she will be back in the water in two years time.