Callum craft

[Murv]

Anyone ever heard of them?
I'm ebaying a project boat on behalf of a club. It's advertised as a Norman 17 as that's what I was told it was, but had a message from someone last night saying that it was not a Norman but a Callum craft.
Googling reveals very little, except from a line that states that Callum craft & Norman are practically ancestors, anyone know anything about them?
I doubt it makes any difference, but obviously don't want to misrepresent the thing if, indeed, it isn't a Norman.

 

[Chris_d]

Google is your friend http://www.normanboats.co.uk/ Callum's are very similar.
Callum were fairly horrible little boats as were Normans, my parents had one in the 70's. Seamasters, Freemans, Nauticlaus all much better in that era....

 

[Wavey]

As Chris said, Callum and Norman are essentially the same animal. Chances are though if you call it a Norman more people will know what you're talking about than if you call it a Callum.

Built down to a price they most certainly were, with quite a few sold for home completion which lead to some interesting layouts. But, cheap and a bit nasty they may have been, they were the entry level boats for a lot of people who later moved on to bigger and better things. Benefitted too from the fact they could go anywhere on rivers and canals with almost all having 6' 10" beam whereas anything larger than the Freeman 22 and virtually all Seamasters were restricted to rivers and wide canals.

 

[Murv]

Thanks both, I assume they shared the same mould then? I found an old brochure online that suggested that (the Norman) was available as a variety of options, one of which was just the hull.

 

[Wavey]

As far as I know, yes, same moulds. I think (but stand to be corrected by those who know better) that the Callum became the Norman.

 

[Murv]

Superb, thank you.

 

[PCUK]

Callumcraft were manufactured by NMP (North Manchester Plastics) which later became shortened to 'Norman' so the Callumcraft was the forerunner to the Norman range.

 

[Murv]

Thanks PCUK, always interesting to learn the history of these classic boats.