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Eastwood Whelpton

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01493 750430
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Meet the team

The finest crew on the Norfolk broads.

It takes a lot of work to get the Eastwood Whelpton fleet in the water, ship-shape and ready for your Norfolk sailing adventure. From skilled boatbuilders to RYA instructors and our excellent cleaning team, the Eastwood Whelpton crew are a tight-knit group of sailing enthusiasts, passionate about the Norfolk Broads.

  • Office Team
  • Boatyard
  • RYA Instructors
EW 19100424

Andy

Boatyard Engineer

Andy doesn’t just own the business alongside his wife, Annie, he is also our chief engineer! Running a boatyard allows Andy to combine his many years of engineering expertise with his lifelong passion for sailing. A very busy man who whatever the weather, can usually be found outside in the yard working alongside the team on the latest project!

    Group 464

    Annie

    Customer Care/ Marketing

    Business owner and a passionate advocate of sailing on the Norfolk Broads, Annie certainly wears many hats! However, her passion is helping you create memories of your time on the water filled with laughter, thrills and plenty of relaxation. Having spent many years visiting Norfolk Annie & Andy made it their permanent home 5 years ago and have been promoting the secrets of the Broads ever since.

      suzy

      Suzy

      Finance/Admin

      Suzy works part time in the office helping keep the bookings in order and dealing with customer queries.

        Caroline 2

        Caroline

        Office Volunteer

        Caroline has sailed on the Broads for many years, teaching youngsters how to sail and helping run one of the largest youth Easter Christian cruises. She recently moved to Norfolk and now can be found sailing her Yeoman around Horning, helping out with the Nancy Oldfield Fleet, helping support the office team here at EW and also instructing on our yachts in her spare time!

          0 EW Social

          Nick

          Boatbuilder

          Nick has been sailing the Norfolk Broads all his life and there isn’t an inch of water he doesn’t know.

          A prominent competitor in the many races held locally, sailing really is his passion. His daughter Zoe can also be found here during the summer months teaching many families the joys of sailing with her expert tuition.

            Bob

            Bob

            Boatyard Hand

            Every business needs a Bob. He is completely unflappable no matter how busy things get and always ready to get stuck into the next challenge. This could be anything from working in the shed finishing projects, to getting our hire fleet ready to set sail. Whatever it is Bob will work calmly and methodically to get the job done!

              Bea

              Bea

              Boatbuilder

              Fresh out of the International Boatbuilding Training College at Lowestoft, Bea has joined us to help with our busy yard load. Not only is she our first female boatbuilder but she brings with her our first boatyard dog, a Border Collie called Brody.

                Sue

                Sue

                Cleaning Team

                Sue is a regular at the yard during the busy summer months. She will usually be found prepping our yachts, making sure you have everything needed on board for an easy and relaxing holiday. Sue is our home cook extraordinaire! Her speciality is a tasty pie or sumptuous quiche but whatever she serves up it always goes down well in the staff mess room!

                    IMG 7229 2

                    Terry

                    Boatbuilder

                    Introducing Terry. A long time member of the crew, his hard work means that all of our yachts are sanded, varnished, painted and finished to the highest of standards. He has lovingly restored many of the yachts in the fleet over the years. A secret petrol head on the side, outside of work Terry enjoys any opportunity to dabble in a spot of car maintenance and restoration.

                      Frosty

                      Frosty

                      Boatyard Hand

                      Frosty by name, but not by nature, David is a gentle and caring member of our team and a total legend. He helps keep team morale up with his cheerfulness, singing and playing of sea shanties on his accordion! He helps with rigging, varnishing, launching, re-fuelling and customer briefings. He can be found skippering the Wherry Albion, guarding on the Bure Valley Railway in his spare time!

                        Hannah 2

                        Hannah

                        Cleaning Team

                        Hannah is an important member of our cleaning team here at the yard. Meticulous in her standards she always adds those ‘little touches’ to our yachts leaving them pristine and sparkly clean ready for your holiday to begin. With her mum and sister also working at the yard it is a real family affair. Hannah lives locally with her young family and knows all of the best dog walks in the area if you have a furry friend on board.

                          Tom

                          Tom

                          Boatbuilder

                          Tom is the latest recruit to join our hard working boatbuilding team here at Eastwood Whelpton. In another life he was a teacher and worked internationally for many years. However, having recently re-qualified at the Lowestoft Boatbuilding College, we are delighted that he has chosen to settle into a new ‘Norfolk’ way of life with us.

                            anji

                            Angie

                            Cleaning Team

                            Angie joined the EW team for summer 2021 – our busiest year ever! She really did hit the ground running and it is fantastic to have her back again this season! Angie grew up living and working on a boatyard in Norfolk, so she shares our passion for introducing folk to sailing on the Broads.

                              Jacob & Crew

                              Jacob

                              Boatbuilder

                              One of our longest serving team members, Jacob is a real Norfolk gem. A talented boatbuilder, Jacob has a superb eye for detail and has worked alongside Local Master Mast Builder Peter Charlton to make new masts for the fleet. Jacob also helps with running the yard in the busy sailing season, managing the Changeover Team, on-going maintenance, and customer care.

                                Gerry

                                Gerry

                                Boatyard Hand

                                Gerry is a Norfolk lad and has a fantastic backstory as a submariner travelling all over the world in his youth and as a local postman more recently! His Navy background, cheerfulness and hard work ethic is a great asset to us at the yard where he helps with a variety of boatyard tasks. Gerry is the fastest splicer in the yard and has many stories to tell.

                                  Sarah

                                  Sarah

                                  Cleaning Team

                                  Sarah first came to the yard for work experience while she was at school and has become a regular seasonal team member, when she is not studying for her degree at University. Sarah is hardworking and enthusiastic, helping out with a variety of boatyard tasks from varnishing spars to deep cleaning a yacht. She takes real care to ensure yachts are fully equipped and beautifully clean for customers.

                                    Ed and Sarah on work experience

                                    Ed

                                    Cleaning Team

                                    Ed also came to the yard for work experience and helps out when he is not at University, trying to keep the ‘Saturday boys’ in order! Helping with anything from rigging to scrubbing decks and deep cleaning yachts. Ed is also an assistant instructor and loves getting out on a Dinghy or borrowing one of our half deckers for a sail.

                                      Tony

                                      Tony

                                      Boatbuilder

                                      Tony has been with us for 2 years after completing his training at the International Boatbuilding College in Lowestoft. Having worked with wood and furniture all his life, he has been a great addition to the team. Tony enjoys the variety of work that comes with a Hire Fleet and can turn his hand to many other tasks, as needed. Another awesome member of our crew.

                                        Guy

                                        Guy

                                        Boatyard Hand

                                        Before Guy joined us here at Eastwood Whelpton he was a professional sailor, crewing for yachts all over the world. Yet get him on the subject of why he loves the Norfolk Broads and you won’t be able to stop him! Guy takes a lead with sailing issues including rigging our fleet during the season. He is also dedicated to instructing those that want to enjoy time on the water.

                                          WJ racing 1

                                          Kim

                                          Linen & Laundry

                                          Kim is another valued member of our cleaning team during the busy summer months here at Eastwood Whelpton. Always working hard to make sure that our yachts meet her very high standards. Kim lives locally in the village of Upton and outside of work enjoys spending time with her family. In particular it is her two gorgeous young grandsons that keep her on her toes!

                                            IMG 20220127 115803 529

                                            Tracey

                                            Cleaning Team

                                            Tracey spent over 40 years working as an NHS nurse, mostly on acute wards. As you can imagine she is meticulous when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness and our boats never leave the yard without her seal of approval. We are thrilled that Tracey is back again this season and has chosen to spend her ‘retirement’ at Eastwood Whelpton.

                                              Andrew

                                              Andrew

                                              Senior Instructor

                                              Andrew loves being on the water; here on the Broads in his Yeoman he can be regularly found racing at Horning, helping out with youth sailing, or on Barton Broad as a volunteer instructor for the Nancy Oldfield Trust. He also enjoys being at sea supporting therapeutic voyages run by the Rona Sailing Project. When not sailing Andrew leads a busy life with family and his new grandchildren!

                                                Pippa Stewart 500px

                                                Bob

                                                Instructor

                                                  Jimmy & Flotilla crew

                                                  Jimmy

                                                  Senior Instructor

                                                  Jimmy learnt to sail as a youngster on the Norfolk Broads and on the North Norfolk coast. He jumps at the chance to sail anything and instructs on Dinghies, Keelboats and our ICC course. He is also our Summer Flotilla Skipper and enjoys introducing customers to southern rivers sailing. Jimmy sails regularly at sea, he holds his Coastal Yachtmaster Certificate and is also a Norfolk Wherry Skipper.

                                                    Pippa Stewart 500px

                                                    Jenn

                                                    Instructor

                                                      Ruth Instructor

                                                      Ruth

                                                      Senior Instructor

                                                      Ruth grew up on the North Norfolk coast and has lived and sailed here ever since. She is qualified to teach in both dinghies and keelboats. Sailing passions include gaff rigged boats, sailing fast and sailing fast in gaff rigged boats. Spare time not in a boat is spent drinking tea, renovating her house, chasing her toddler around and playing increasingly complicated board games.

                                                        Zoe

                                                        Instructor

                                                        Zoe can be found here regularly in the summer months, teaching families the joys of sailing with her expert instruction. As third generation ‘Eastwood’ at the yard, she follows in the footsteps of her grandfather (John) and father (Nick) as she works towards the completion her Marine Engineering degree.

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                                                          Eastwood Whelpton Limited

                                                          Upton Yacht Station
                                                          Boat Dyke Road, Upton
                                                          Norfolk, England, NR13 6BL

                                                          Contact us

                                                          +44(0)1493 750430
                                                          info@eastwood-whelpton.co.uk

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                                                          Eastwood Whelpton Ltd © 2022   Company Registration No: 00613987
                                                          Photography – Richard Johnstone-Bryden & Luke Nunns