Sailing & Classic Boat Hire
on the Norfolk Broads

We are a family run business, please get in touch if you have any questions or send us a message via our contact form

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Explore the Norfolk Broads’ Hidden Corners - Far from the Crowds

Slip away from the busy boating centres and into a quieter world. With Martham Boats, you can navigate to secluded waters, peaceful backwaters, and unspoilt stretches of the Broads that most visitors never see. Our fleet is specially designed to pass under every bridge on the network, giving you the freedom to explore at your own pace.
Along the way, you’ll reconnect with nature, discover wildlife up close, and enjoy the calm beauty of this unique landscape - whether you’re sailing, cruising, or simply drifting under the big Norfolk skies.
As a fourth-generation, family-run boatyard, we combine the charm of tradition with the care of true craftsmanship, ensuring every journey carries both authenticity and adventure.

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Many people these days don't just dream about an idyllic retirement where they buy an old boat and “do it up”; they actively decide to do something about it.

 

Martham Boats offers comprehensive boat building and repair services, specializing in traditional wooden boat construction. Our skilled team brings extensive experience in time-honored craftsmanship, making us one of the few providers of a professionally supervised facility for DIY boat enthusiasts.

Boat Materials
We provide everything you need for your project, from marine hardwoods, paints, varnishes, and fixings to specialized items. Our inventory also includes lifting gear and one-off custom components. Onsite, our skilled electrical and mechanical engineers are available to assist with any challenges, and our stainless steel fabrication workshop can produce custom gas, fuel, and waste tanks, sump trays, eyebolts, and deck fittings.

Restoration Workshops
Our workshops feature industrial-grade woodworking machinery, enabling us to shape, cut, and trim timber to your exact specifications. With over 1,800 square feet of undercover workspace and a secure outdoor area monitored by security cameras, our facilities are easily accessible by both road and water.

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The Restoration of Maggie Jane

This Broads Cruiser was originally built as Judith IV here at Martham in 1952, and for many years cruised the Broads as part of our hire fleet. She was sold in 1984 to a gentleman from Kent who re-named her Maggie Jane. After 8 years she was then re-sold to a local man in Stalham.

After couple of years Maggie Jane became too expensive for her owner to maintain and she was brought home to us here at Martham, where she stayed in our “graveyard” rapidly deteriorating. In the winter of 2000, she was taken on by a retired couple, who over many years, loving restored her to her former glory. Maggie Jane was re-launched on 12th May 2007 and once again is cruising the Broads looking as good as the day she was first launched in the fifties.

See our full range of holidays Download Brochure

See our full range of Norfolk Broad Holidays Download Brochure