It's A Proper Job

The pursuit of perfection is the driving force behind Norton Canes Boatbuilders so the latest creation was bound for tick all the boxes for its new owners

- Adam Porter

Choosing a boat builder has similarities with buying a new house; it’s not just a matter of having all your boxes ticked, you also need to have that something extra – the thing that you can’t quite explain, but is absolutely essential. That was certainly the case for Geralyn and Ken Lennon. “I wanted a proper boat from a proper boatyard,” says Ken. “A lot of it was about things just feeling right.”

The search for the proper boat took him to Norton Canes Boatbuilders at Glascote Basin. Ken had long been a fan of Steve Hudson’s boats, and the Norton Canes team had fitted out the last Hudson shell built before Steve’s death. He liked the style of that fit-out – a style we also saw in a Norton Canes spec boat we reviewed last year (Canal Boat December 2018).

With the pedigree of the boat builders feeling right, Geralyn and Ken also wanted the boat to look right – so they have a trad stern (of which we see disappointingly few these days), and beautifully traditional looking exterior. Inside is more contemporary, while the technical side of things is relatively straightforward.

Exterior

This is a beautiful boat, whichever angle you look at it from. The shell is a Tyler Wilson sheerline Josher. Sheerline means there’s a long, sweeping line along the gunwales, with a slight rise towards the bow and the stern. The Josher style bow has the double curves you’d expect. It’s very pretty.