So, back to the 1960’s – Peter Olorenshaw had disposed of ‘Corsair’ quite soon after acquiring her, and she was on the bank at Brundall. In truth, she was having an ignominious time of it.
Peter Olorenshaw is credited however with reducing the sail gear by lowering the peak slightly, and fitting an inboard engine. A Vire 6hp, with a hotch-potch arrangement of different height cockpit seats to accommodate this.
Whilst the engine itself is long gone, there is a remaining legacy, namely the ‘slot’ for the gear change lever in one of the cockpit lids.
The Campbells had swapped her for a fairly new White Boat (No. 79 – The Old Lady), seen here in 2010;
In 1964 – brothers John & Peter Olorenshaw registered as a owners of Norfolk dinghy, essentially each time ‘Corsair’ found herself moved on, for a smaller boat!
The Norfolk Dinghy was originally conceived by Herbert Woods, legendary Broadsman and boatbuilder from Potter Heigham. The prototype is actually No. 2, that’s another story!! The first Norfolk dinghies were built in 1931, costing approximately £65. It’s rumoured they were an alternative to the International 14, which at that time cost 150 guineas. The Norfolks were mostly built pre-war.
For the Olorenshaws, their dinghy was built in a period where that class was slowing down. In fact from 1951 to 1968, only 9 new boats were built. In the pre-war days, averages of 6 or 7 new dinghies a year wasn’t uncommon! The Olorenshaw brothers only kept their Norfolk from 1964 until 1977.
Norfolk Dinghy; Condor – Wroxham Broad 
YBODs L-R; Talisker, Lunar, Peacock – Oulton Broad 
Norfolk Dinghy ; Kelpie – Thorpe St. Andrew
Sorry – I’m supposed to be writing about my boat. But if you want some fantastic photographs of Norfolk Dinghies, please visit my friend Sandy’s page; https://sandymillerphotography.pixieset.com/norfolkdinghies/?fbclid=IwAR0L9aGkQDIYVF1ZGSzbtTLx_YtI7AqqnwBVA6iWT9BvEYKklAZtDtuY-eQ
Prior to the Olorenshaw’s passing ‘Corsair’ on to her next owner, (she was sold in 1969). Her next owner was in fact, across the Atlantic!
As a young man, Stephen Hinde had taken 6 months’ work in a department store in Detroit, Michigan, which lead to him being in a position to purchase ‘Corsair’. Although he first covered approximately 12,000 miles on Greyhound buses, travelling around America.
Once back in the UK, Stephen was mulling over which river cruiser to purchase – prospective craft being either ‘Corsair’ or ‘White Wings’ (S/N 1)
So yes. ‘Corsair’ was purchased at Brundall (Brooms Boats) there being a family connection between the Brooms, and the Olorenshaws. Her new owner Stephen Hinde. His family interestingly, also were business owners in Norwich. His great grandfather founded ‘Bonds’ department store, now part of the John Lewis chain.
If you are interested, some history of Bonds is available here; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonds_of_Norwich
His grandfather Ernest Bond also owned the wherry ‘Lorna Doon’;
Again – ‘Corsair’ had secured the attentions of a devoted owner, thankfully with the means to keep her well. Stephen’s first impression was that a lovely boat, but in the wrong place!!
I have been lucky enough to correspond with Stephen, and having met both he and his wife Janice at their home – and as such I was able to piece together more of ‘Corsair’s’ history.
At this time, Stephen was a member of the river cruiser class committee, so it made sense for ‘Corsair’ to be kept at Wroxham broad, with her own buoy near the public beach. Hence on the 29th June, 1969 he undertook his maiden cruise, sailing ‘Corsair’ from Brundall to the northern rivers.
I am fortunate enough to have in my possession several photographs of Stephen’s ownership. He not only sailed ‘Corsair’ actively within the river cruiser class, but also achieved some success, winning the ‘Rogue Tankard’ one Barton regatta. He also competed in the 1970 3 rivers race, with the Bakelite plaque now kept in my desk drawer.
During this time, ‘Corsair’ was over-wintered at John Clabburn’s yard; ‘Dawncraft, where it was necessary to replace some of the original sapele planking, even at this comparatively early stage in her life.
Also in 1970, he took ‘Corsair’ down Yarmouth harbour, just so she could sniff at the salt water – something to my knowledge which wasn’t repeated for her until 2012, where she was berthed at the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club for their regatta on Lake Lothing.
Stephen had fitted an accessory which I understand is entirely bespoke to ‘Corsair’, and I’m not aware this has not been repeated by another Broads yacht before or since!
On the cabin roof, in the aftermost port corner, there is a shaped wooden holder, which receives a chromed spotlight. This was to enable night-time sailing! It too, is retained and lives in the forward cabin drawer under the starboard bunk.
Given the context of Stephen’s work (he was part of the family business, Bonds department store) it is evident that the search light was actively used, particularly as Saturday was a working day for him. He specifically recounted its’ use on a midnight navigation of Meadow Dyke, one summers’ evening – eventually mooring under the familiar silhouette of Horsey Mill.
During 1974, after Stephen had married – another Broads yacht caught his eye – s/n 101 ‘Loyalist’, a larger fully varnished Broads yacht that had been built for estuary/coastal work in addition to Broads sailing. He’d bought ‘Loyalist’ whilst still owning ‘Corsair’, and no doubt needed to focus his energies on the new…
As such, after a busy 6 years of racing and cruising, which included taking ‘Corsair’ to every single head of navigation on the Broads, Stephen put her into a boat auction at Potter Heigham. He recounted to me that the price achieved was somewhat lower than he’d hoped, and as such he removed certain equipment from her itinerary. Much later (42 years in fact) I was able to reunite ‘Corsair’ with certain items, including a fitted winter cover, still bearing the legend “Jeckells Sailmakers, Wroxham).
I’m going to finish now, with two my my favourite photographs of Stephen’s ownership. They show a young man, with his dog – enjoying the boat.
Which is exactly what me and the dogs are now going to do now.
A Broadsman 