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[Davo]

As a child of the 1950s, a trip from the East End to Southend On Sea would hopefully include a go on the boats in the pond by the pier.  Watching Talking Pictures the other day, there was a programme about the 1951 Festival of Britain.  The boating pond featured the same boats.   Were they made for a large market, or did the Festival ones end up in Southend?
I pondered if they would make a novel model.  Perhaps someone already has.
David

[Dave_S.]

There were similar boats on the lake at Prince's Park in Eastbourne in the late 60s/early 70s (hard to be more precise!). My grandparents lived just around the corner from the park and we frequently visited Eastbourne  - the boats and the trams were an essential part of the holiday for me & my sister. The model power boats and yachts were as at least as interesting to me, but rather less so to my sister!

[Big Ada]

There were similar Boats in Folkestone by the Rotunda, I can still smell the Fuel all these years later.


Len.

[Davo]

Thank you for the replies.
Well, it looks like they were an amusement park production item.  Suffice to say, for any younger viewer, they were not fitted with a V6 engine as the exhaust stacks would suggest!  Probably a small lawnmower engine plodding away all day.  I remember trying to adjust the nuts on the throttle linkage rod for more speed; to no avail.   Happy memories of my childhood.
David

[knoby]

Came across a couple of these in a boat yard near Southend some years after they were decommissioned & seem to recall they were fitted with Stuart Turner engines. Only reason it stuck in my mind was, until then I only knew of Stuart Turner as steam engine producers. Mind you, it was over 45 years ago & I stand to be corrected.

[malcolmfrary]

Until about 10 years ago, the "speed" boats on Fairhaven at Lytham were Stuart Turner powered, they had also been built in the boathouse at the lake. Pre-war and with later modifications.  Very similar ones ran on Stanley Park Lake in Blackpool. 
10 years or so ago the Fairhaven ones were converted to Honda motors as it was noted that you could buy a complete new Honda motor for less than the cost of almost any of the Stuart Turner spares.  Then came the failed scheme to convert to electric boats.  They now use a fleet of fibreglass outboard boats that were got in a hurry, second hand, from an operator on the Thames.

Just noticed in the picture - the lad supporting his head leaning his elbow of the side of the boat gives every appearance of not being as excited at the ride as he might have hoped.

[meechingman]

Similar boats were found at Hove Lagoon and at Brooklands Park in Lancing. Many a trip on them. Not sure what motors they had but I do remember the chug-chug sound! Last time I went on a similar boat was on Lake Wolfgang in Austria - electric powered and almost eerily silent.

[dodes]

Was that the pool, where there was a replica of the Golden Hind(built on a concrete base).

[Davo]

It was indeed.  There was also a large diorama behind glass, of someone being cut in half by a swinging axe.  Happy days.....