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Building Fibre Glass Boats

1960 , Great Dunmow (Essex)

Cat no. 215585

Local television news item, about the success of a small boat building business in Great Dunmow, featuring its owner, Dick Sparrow.

Market Place and the Old Town Hall in Great Dunmow, with a few pedestrians and traffic. There is a sign for 'Seamaster Ltd.' then views of a bungalow and large corrugated steel sheds. There is a slip way into a large water-filled trough. The view along the trough from the elevated boating shed reveals a man walking the sides of the trough. Dick Sparrow, founder and owner of Seamaster, speaks to camera. He describes the change in boating clientele over the years, and how it is affordable for the 'average man's enjoyment'. His fibreglass craft has attracted enquiries from all over the world. He explains the advantages of fibreglass – its resilience, longevity, and low maintenance - over scenes of fibreglass sheets being laid and sealed over the moulded hull of a boat. Dick Sparrow relates a story to camera about one of Seamaster's boats in a harbour in Mauritius remaining largely intact after a cyclone had struck, while other wooden boats had been destroyed by the storm.

Featured Buildings

Workshops, Seamasters Limited

Keywords

Boatbuilding; Boats; Local businesses

Background Information

The following information is from www.jonesboatyard.co.uk: Seamaster boats goes back to 1944 when Dick Sparrow (originally a cabinet maker)left London with his caravan, arriving to a field in Dunmow, Essex, which he eventually bought together with some ex W.D. tin sheds. These were used for Dick's original business, making toys, before going into caravan production. These models were called Vanmaster, and 250 caravans were built in total. In 1951, Vanmaster branched into a small boat production, introducing the Seamaster name. Up until 1960, the company was hugely successful, building some 200 craft between 17ft and 26ft.

Manifestations

Building Fibre Glass Boats

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