Albert Strange

oldfrank

oldfrank

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Interesting piece on Albert Strange in CB 237 - complete with mention of E.L.Woods of Cantley. Ernest Woods (his brother and uncle also ran Broads yards) built two or three Albert Strange designed boats both at Cantley and later at Horning. Ernest arguably built the nicest Broads River Cruisers. If you have a look at John Leather's book on Albert Strange and place a piece of paper over the canoe sterns and mizzens, the bow and topsides might be Melody or Dragonfly. Albert Strange corresponded with a man called Stephens who was editor of the US magazine The Rudder. Ernie Woods built a couple of catboats - nice little dinghies but they were American, they just didn't belong on the Broads. Lo and behold on going through his papers there were three pages cut out of the Rudder giving dimensions of catboats. Charles D. Mower technical editor of The Rudder designed a yawl rigged Broads River Cruiser called Luna, launched in 1905. (She used to be owned by Tim Whelpton's {see previous CB} father in law) Her remains are in a garden at Blundeston (beloved by both David Copperfield and John Stonehouse). They were more cosmopolitan than you think! OF
 
I just know someone's going to ask this so I'll post it anyway:

William Woods was foreman at William Brighton's yard at Southtown in Great Yarmouth. Brighton went to Oulton Broad where amongst other vessels he built the Norfolk Wherry Albion. William Woods went to work for Mollett in Brundall. Mollett was already master of the dinghy classes when he built Castanet for Russell Colman (think mustard) - the first skimming dish - and yes it was before Linton Hope's Sorceress. Mollett's yard is known as C.J.Broom today but it was for a while known as the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company (this is the simplified version). Wiilliam Woods' sons Walter and Ernest also worked for the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company. Ernest served his apprenticeship just downstream at their Cantley yard - that he initially bought in partnership with a man called Newstead. No trace of this yard remains today.

When the Brundall yard was sold to the NBYCo manager Charles Jack Broom, Walter Woods (old Walter) was despatched to Potter Heigham to manage a new yard upstream of the mediaeval bridge. NBYCo went under during WWI and old Walter bought the yard. He had two sons: Young Walter and Herbert. Herbert eventually took over the business and moved it downstream of the bridge in 1930 - where it has remained. Phew. Knew someone would ask ...
 
Hi Old Frank. I always think it's sad when people have to reply to their own postings ( /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif ) so I thought I'd join the conversation. Yes - good piece about the Suffling yachts. You mentioned other Ernie Woods Yachts - including Melody. She was built, as you know, at Cantley in 1922 as Osmunda. Readers can find copious pictures of her and other Broads Yachts at www.yaresailingclub.org.uk
 
You seem to have knowledge of Broads boatbuilders, Oldfrank, so may I try this question?
Do you have any knowledge of boatbuilders in Brundall in the 1880s or 90s?
All I know about my boat's origins is heresay from previous owners, who all had the story passed on to them that she was built in the 1880s in Brundall for the then owner of the Red House inn at Cantley.
(21 X 6.5 foot clinker cruiser, perhaps originally half-decker, said to have been called Lama or Llama. Long deepish keel, external cast iron plus internal ballast)
 
Converted half deckers from the period are not unusual on the Broads. A large number were originally fitted with centreplates. Haven't looked at Lloyds yet - I also hold a large number of local sailing club handbooks that may provide more information about owners. The Red House survives - only the name has been changed to protect the innocent. Who was the landlord - it used to be a big smuggling pub. Can you give me any more clues? H.A.Little was also a decent Brundall boatbuilder of the period. OF
 
I did look up the 1881 census and found the name of the landlord. I can't recall it at present, but he was described as an innkeeper and barge owner.
I moored at the Red Inn (still original name in 1983) once and immediately spotted old yachting photos on the walls. None of my boat however.
I've corresponded with a fellow owner with a boat of similar origins, who insisted that mine must once have been a centreboarder. It can't be though - the keel is only 3" wide, and there is no trace on the inside of there ever having been a centreboard structure. Also the hull is narrow and deep, and very fine in the bows, not virtually flat-bottomed like traditional broads boats.
That's the sum of my knowledge until 1913, when the cabin was added, the counter stern sawn off, and purchased by the English boatyard family (Wroxham?). One old member of the family even remembered her (by then called "Babs") and said she was always a pig to sail.
 
Hi OF,

Melody was certainly called Pinta at one stage - but in my 1951 edition of Lloyd'd register, she is is listed as 'Pinta ex Osmunda", and in the oldest postcard I have of her, from 1926 - when she would have been four years old, that appears to be the name on her transom.
 
I think I'm correct in saying she was built for the Rev. H.S.Rogers of Coltishall Hall; who was a serial purchaser of small boats - his brother had a year 1 Brown Boat and also commissioned the pleasure wherry Solace. I've got quite a lot of coverage - doubtless we'll meet over a pint(a).
 
The landlord of the Cantley Red House from 1858-1880 was a Walter Thomas Crowe - also described as a wherry owner. From 1880 to 1891, the landlord was Alfred Jacob Goldspink. See web page
 
I'm bit late replying, oldfrank, but: E L Woods' Strange builds were to a family of designs derived, but at larger sizes, from this one, Strange's 29ft LOA VENTURE , seem here a couple of years ago after a lengthy and superb restoration by Jamie Clay and Jim Maynard of Maldon.

Her larger sisters were at 33ft and 40ft LOA. CHARM is a 33ft one living at Walton. SEA HARMONY, also 33ft lives at Marblehead, Mass.

The 40-footer CHARM II is under restoration at Valencia.

Woods' clients for these boats were the Suffling Bros, timber merchants of Norfolk, who had strong views on the requirements of a short-handed cruiser, and made a great deal of input to Strange in the original design in 1916 (his last as he died that year) and into the enlarged versions built by Woods. The Albert Strange Association (I'm the Secretary) would like to 'write up' the story of these boats and people in more detail than we have right now -- does anyone know how we might contact the present-day Woods and Suffling families, with a view to tracking down any surviving correspondence etc?

More of the same at www.albertstrange.org
 
Here are a couple of possible descendants of E L Woods (out of bt directory):-

C Woods
Tel: (01692) 630955
12 Upper St, Horning, Norwich, NR12 8NE3.

D.E Woods
Tel: (01692) 630756
72 Lower St, Horning, Norwich, NR12 8PF

I have Venture being built by A. Wooden of Oulton so here are 3 possible descendants:-

B.W Wooden
Tel: (01502) 740625
3 Durrants Clo, Kessingland, Lowestoft, NR33 7PB

D Wooden
Tel: (01502) 573478
2 Ambleside Gdns, Lowestoft, NR32 4GN

P.R Wooden
Tel: (01502) 573702
96 Yarmouth Rd, Lowestoft, NR32 4AQ

...and some possibilities for Suffling:-

E.R Suffling
Tel: (01603) 502577
97 Wycliffe Rd, Norwich, NR4 7DU

G.A Suffling
Tel: (01603) 742377
6 Gurney Rd, New Costessey, Norwich, NR5 0HA

K Suffling
Tel: (01603) 484155
73 Lavengro Rd, Norwich, NR3 4RT

W.R Suffling
Tel: (01603) 662783
88 Beaconsfield Rd, Norwich, NR3 4PP

Bit of detective work required.
 
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