Paul Thomas
Martin Broom, chairman of Broom Boats, at the London Boat Show in 2010
Paul Thomas remembers brilliant Brooms, builders of special yachts and motor boats and his friendship with founder Martin Broom MBE
Boats have been much of my life… the apples of my eye. Here in Norfolk, over four decades I owned a wonderful sailing yacht, then also three motor boats we took abroad as well as around the UK – all created by members of the Broom family, Britain’s oldest boat-builder, 112 years of it.
I started in boats 70 years ago - at the age of 11 on the Norfolk Broads, in a holiday hire boat.
By 2003 when we started Norfolk Afloat the balance was swinging the other way – with many more private boats and a big decline in hire craft.
Today the holiday hire fleets on the Broads are down to approx 900 and weekend and short-breaks very popular as well as the original week-long hires. Today there are many more day boats running too. Private boats ownership and operation has swelled to several thousand, particularly thanks to the sales operations of Norfolk Yacht Agency, Norfolk Boat Sales and others.
Going back to when we started Norfolk Afloat, one yard, Brooms, was successful in both hire boats but also building and selling private boats. The first edition of NA included a review I did of Broom’s super new 450, then an ocean-going twin engined six berth motor cruiser aiming at international waters. Price then – £445,000 – today probably a million!