About Hunter's Yard
Hunter’s Yard is home to the Norfolk Heritage Fleet — a unique collection of traditional sailing craft originally built by Percy Hunter in Norfolk in the 1930s.
Lovingly maintained and still sailing today, the fleet includes fourteen classic cabin yachts and two half-deckers. Hand-crafted from mahogany and other timbers, these vessels are living examples of traditional Norfolk boatbuilding at its finest. In addition to this, Hunter’s Yard is home to six additional wooden half-deckers which have been donated to the Yard, including a Yare and Bure One Design, a Waveney One Design, three Rebel One Designs, and a balanced lug sail.
Hunter's History
Percy Hunter, with his sons Cyril and Stanley, built the first shed at Womack Water in 1932. Within a year they had designed, built and launched the first two cabin yachts of the Hunter’s Yard Fleet. The Fleet grew each year, and a second shed was built in 1935 to help house the yachts in the winter months. Most of the fleet was built in Ludham between 1932 and 1949. The most recent addition was Lucent, a Lullaby Class cabin yacht, which was launched in 2008.
The Hunter Family operated the Yard until 1968 when it was sold to the Norfolk County Council and was re-named the Norfolk County Sailing Base. The traditions of the Yard were maintained, but the main aim became encouraging young people to sail. Today, many of our regular hirers of the Hunter Fleet, first experienced sailing in their teens during the Council’s ownership.
In 1995 the Council decided to sell the Fleet and the Yard as part of an economy measure. After much outcry a group of influential people formed a Trust with the aim of acquiring the Yard and the Fleet to maintain the high standards of boatbuilding it represents.
A huge fundraising effort was undertaken, together with a grant of £200,000 awarded from the Heritage Lottery Fund and in 1996 the Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust took over the Yard and re-established its original name, Hunter's Yard. The history of Hunter's is very much part of the Yard and its Fleet. The traditions of quality workmanship and excellent customer care remain as strong today as ever.
Today, the Hunter’s Yard Fleet continues its legacy on the water, offering guests the chance to hire traditional boats for both day trips and overnight adventures.
As the Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust with the responsibility of preserving these historic vessels, we have the pleasure of providing a wide range of adults and youngsters the opportunity to discover sailing for the first time. This is done through RYA courses, Cabin Conversion courses, and Project Starfish. As a recognized RYA centre, we offer RYA Keelboat Levels 1, 2 & 3, Seamanship, and Assistant Instructor (in house). For those looking for a relaxed guided experience, skippered sails provide an inspiring introduction to sailing and the Norfolk Broads.
The Fleet plays a vital role in Project Starfish, a project dedicated to expanding access to heritage sailing for young people across Norfolk, particularly those from areas facing social and economic disadvantage. Project Starfish currently encompasses day sailing experiences, onshore heritage activities, RYA courses, and residential sailing. The aim of this engagement is to create sailing opportunities, connect young people to their local heritage and benefit well-being.
The Boats
Hunter’s Fleet have all been on hire since they were built except during the war years from 1939 till 1943. There are few changes to the Hunter’s Fleet today since the 1930s. These few changes include that terylene sails replaced cotton, synthetic ropes replaced manila and hemp, gas replaced primus cookers, and battery lights replaced oil lamps. Most of the Hunter’s fleet cabin yachts do now have electric engines which are humorously called ‘electric quants’ by the team.
All our cabin boats are gaff-rigged sloops with a self-tacking jib, designed for effortless sailing. Onboard, each vessel includes toilet facilities, cooking equipment, and fresh-water containers. Every boat is built with a counter-weighted tabernacle mast for easy lowering and a fixed ballast keel for stability and performance.
Hustler Class - 24ft
These single-cabin sloops are designed to deliver a lively, satisfying performance for the experienced yachtsman. Each boat offers two single berths, with space for an optional extra person.
Wood Class - 24ft
Ideal for sailing enthusiasts who want a little more room without sacrificing performance. These two-cabin sloops sleep three people with an optional extra berth.
Lullaby Class - 28ft
Spacious and beautifully built, the Lullaby Class provides comfortable accommodation for four people, arranged across two separate cabins divided by a companionway and toilet. These magnificent sloops combine comfort with traditional charm.
Woodcut Class - 18ft
Consists of two traditional sloops, each carrying a single balanced lug sail. Ideal for simple, enjoyable Broads sailing, they come equipped with oars and a camping awning, making them perfect for relaxed day trips or adventurous overnight stops. Each boat comfortably seats up to four people.
Winter Maintenance
Winter maintenance is essential to keeping the Hunter’s Fleet in excellent condition. Our skilled boatbuilders work throughout the colder months, following a “prevention over cure” approach with a rolling programme of repairs and replacements. To allow for this, the sailing season is shorter than most, and all yachts and half-deckers are hauled into the sheds by late October. This practice has been observed since Hunter’s first began letting yachts and goes some way of explaining the good condition the boats are in. At the end of the season each boat undergoes a detailed assessment of repairs needed to each boat, scraping back and rubbing down, carrying out a wide range of repairs, anti-fouling, and varnishing.
Private Work
Hunter’s Yard offers the skills of its experienced boatbuilding team for a range of minor maintenance and repair services throughout the summer season. From anti-fouling and varnish work to small accident repairs on wooden boats, our team can carry out work in the water, on a trailer, or in the shed (subject to vessel size). These services are available from the end of April through to August.
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