Broom Boats sold to owners of Horning Pleasurecraft
Broom Boats, which has been operating in Norfolk for 125 years, has been bought by the owners of Horning Pleasurecraft, for an undisclosed sum.
Broom Boats business was established on the River Yare in 1898 and the Brundall-based business has been serving the local boating community for the past 125 years. It currently operates as a marina with 78 private marina berths, and has 24 luxury cruisers for holiday hire, as well as six electric day boats and two fishing boats.
The boatyard also continues to offer repair and maintenance services from the 8.6-acre site.
Horning Pleasurecraft, owned by Clive and Victoria Richardson, has a boat-building and vessel hire site in Horning on the River Bure, where there are 85 private mooring berths, plus a hire fleet. The business also deals in repairing, maintaining and upgrading private craft from all over the Broads network.
"I’ve been in the Broads boating and boat building business all my life.
"We’ve been developing the Horning Pleasurecraft business over the last four years, starting with a hire fleet of three boats and a team of engineers and boat builders at Horning and adding Cove Marina in 2021."
The skilled workforce, including pattern makers, painters, boat builders, GRP laminators, gelcoat finishers, electricians and engineers, designs and builds its own moulds to manufacture its own design of boat from workshops in Catfield and Horning.
Horning Pleasurecraft also operates Cove Marina in Brundall.
Richardson continued:
"We weren’t actively looking for another marina at the time the Broom opportunity presented itself, but it was on our doorstep and the size of the site, together with the extensive hire fleet and facilities, makes it a fantastic fit for us.
"We have plans to improve and fill the moorings, expand the private work and service division as well as maintain the quality hire fleet.
"Building Broom Boats at Brundall again is a real possibility."