The Collins Family name was synonymous with boat building and hire on the Norfolk Broads, from humble beginnings in Coltishall to establishing one of the most successful hire fleets in Broadland at Wroxham . Ernest Collins in particular was renowned for the design and build quality of some very fine yachts in the early years of the 20th century, and the yard bearing his name at Wroxham continued to be an important player in the Broads boat hire market until its closure in the early 1990s. Having changed hands numerous times, the remaining hire fleet was finally disbanded and the premises was sold off for redevelopment. This story, however, concerns probably one of the finest yachts built by Ernest Collins and how she ended up 4000 miles away from home.
I’ve recently uploaded a batch of historic magazine articles to the Broadland Memories website, among which was a rather interesting tale from a 1964 edition of the East Anglian Magazine. The article concerned the Ernest Collins yacht ‘America’, originally built for a private customer at the turn of the 20th century, she was sold back and entered the hire fleet just a few years later. Harry Blake’s first printed brochure in 1908 was devoted solely to the Collins fleet. ‘America’ was listed alongside her sister ship ‘IO’ and, at 43ft in length, they were the largest yachts available for hire. The entry below shows that she could be hired for between £6 to £10 per week including two attendants.
The photograph below was featured in the 1964 magazine article and probably dates to the 1910’s.
‘America’ remained part of the hire fleet up until the outbreak of the Second World War. The brochure entry below is from 1935 where she was described as: “One of the finest, smartest, and most comfortable cutter-rigged sailing yachts”. A portable bath was included in the hire, although electric light was optional and would require the payment of an additional 7 shillings and sixpence a week or 12/6 for a fortnight. The cost of a week’s hire during the peak summer weeks was £16 – “with man and boy”.
These larger, skippered yachts seemingly began to lose their appeal as the hire industry grew, and motor cruisers became more abundant. They were beginning to be retired from the fleets prior to the outbreak of war and some were apparently moved further down the east coast to be used as houseboats, until they eventually rotted away. ‘America’ was likely to have suffered the same fate after the war, but a chance discovery in 1959 by a local resident who was spending his holidays sailing in the West Indies revealed that ‘America’ was still sailing – albeit some 4000 miles away from her original home. Whilst sitting aboard a yacht at Fort-de-France in Martinique, he spotted what appeared to be a Broads yacht sailing in to the harbour. A closer inspection led him to identify it as being ‘America’, modified for ocean sailing with a reduced sail size and a mizzen mast added aft. The owners told him that they had sailed across the Atlantic from Brightlingsea! The photograph below was taken at that time and shows ‘America’ moored at Fort-de-France.
The story was added to some thirty or so years later when the Norfolk Broads Yachting Company at Horning designed and built three new sailing cruisers for their hire fleet. These were a modern interpretation of the classic Victorian and Edwardian Broads yachts, and were each named after original Collins yachts – ‘America’, ‘Palace’ and ‘Lapwing’. Mike Barnes research in to the original yachts provided a little more background to America’s story – locals remembered her being recommissioned c1947, having been laid up ashore during the war. Her new owner expressed his intention to sail her overseas and rumour had it that ‘America’ was bound for America. Had it not been for the chance discovery in Martinique in 1959, her story would have ended there. It’s astonishing to think that what was a 60 year old Broads yacht at the time could successfully undertake such an incredible journey. Testament indeed to the original design and build quality of Ernest Collins boats. What happened to ‘America’ after this epic voyage remains a mystery though …. unless anyone can add to her story?
A link to the original magazine article, plus other new additions including articles on the old horse ferry at Reedham, Norfolk Wherries, and the passenger steamer Resolute, plus a nice set of 1950s photographs featuring the Landamore’s motor cruiser ‘Vesta 9’ can be found via the Latest Additions page on the main Broadland Memories website. A potted history of the Collins brother’s legacy, written by Roger Wilson, can also be found on the website.
