• DEE CRAFT Gorleston on sea INFO ?

    From tharkronv@gmail.com@21:1/5 to aal...@hol.fr on Wed Sep 9 06:31:15 2015
    On Sunday, September 6, 1998 at 8:00:00 AM UTC+1, aal...@hol.fr wrote:
    Would any (probably UK) contributor have any information about the
    boatyard in the subject line ?

    Location : Norfolk Broads, UK
    Timescale : 1950s and later

    It was that of my father, H.O. Allen, known as Tim. He designed and
    built small, plywood hard chine craft - mainly sailing. Though pipped
    at the post commercially by Jack Holt's Enterprise, and , later, by
    Barry Bucknell's Mirror dinghy, he nevertheless developed and built innovative and successful boats including an early catamaran, a
    tunnel-hull scow (pipped again by the Fireball), and many very nice
    dinghy designs. One tailor made boat was equipped with a wishbone boom
    before anybody thought of windsurfing. Hero was Uffa Fox.

    Other achievements included a super lightweight hydroplane and some
    American inspired outboard runabouts with which a team won the Poole
    harbour 100 mile race in 1952/3 ?- I was 6 at the time...

    About 20 years ago his final designs and models experimented with
    hydrofoils on trimarans (before Tabarly) and the last balsa model he
    built - which I mocked at the time ! - was a hard chine spitting image
    of the latest Vendee Globe type monohull planing racers !

    If he had had access to modern materials.....

    If any of this rings a bell, please reply to the NG or Email me
    direct.

    Thanks in advance. I look forward to hearing from you

    Andrew Allen
    Pornichet
    France


    Hello Andrew,

    This is fascinating as I have a DEE-CRAFT double kayak bought by my father - apparently from yours in 1957. I'm currently restoring this beautiful boat, stripping it down to the bare (mahogany!)wood and treating it and decided to look into its origins by
    researching the name on the small brass plaque on the seat....that's how I found your post.

    I would also like to find out more - the craftsmanship is superb and it's still a joy to paddle.

    Best,

    John Savage
    xavage@hotmail.com

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