Brooke Marine

Brooke Marine (also known as J.W. Brooke & Co. and Brooke Yachts) was a Lowestoft-based shipbuilding firm.Brooke Marine
Ocean Pirate. Retrieved 2011-04-25. The company constructed boats and small ships for civilian and commercial use, as well as minor warships for the Royal Navy, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Australian Navy, Kenya Navy and United States Navy.Brooke Marine 2
, Lowestoft Maritime Museum. Retrieved 2011-04-25.

The company was founded in 1874 as a foundry by John Walter Brooke and expanded into boatbuilding and shipbuilding in the early 1900s. It operated until 1992.Brooke Marine
, Lowestoft Maritime Museum. Retrieved 2011-04-25.

History

Until 1911 the company, which produced engines and motor cars, sub-contracted its boat building operations to another firm in Oulton Broad. In 1911 it opened a shipyard on the north side of Lake Lothing and began to produce its own craft, all using engines produced at its Adrian Works in the town. Car production stopped in 1913, although the company continued producing engines until 1938, in total producing more than 7,000.

During World War I the company established a munitions factory. Following the war, the shipyard was expanded to produce boats up to in length. During World War II, the company produced and serviced Motor Launches and landing craft for the Royal Navy and other Allied forces. In 1940, the company was acquired by Harry Dowsett and renamed Brooke Marine.

In 1954, a new shipyard was built on the south side of Lake Lothing. The old yard was closed in 1955, and in 1975 was sold and levelled. The first ships produced at the new yard were twenty fishing trawlers ordered by the Russian government. Over 300 craft were eventually produced in the yard. In 1968 the company won the Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement.Brooke Marine
Grace's guide. Retrieved 2011-04-25.

In July 1977 the company was nationalised and became part of British Shipbuilders until a management buy-out in 1985.Builders: Brooke Marine Ltd.
, National Historic Ships. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
''Hansard'', 2006-11-02,. Retrieved 2011-04-25. In 1987, Brooke Marine closed down and was put up for sale. The dockyard and facilities were purchased in May, with the new owners trading under the name Brooke Yachts. The company continued until September 1992, when it ceased trading. Receivers sold off all shipbuilding equipment in 1993.

The name and some assets of Brooke Marine were acquired in 2006 by Michael Fenton, who relaunched the business with many of the former employees. Brooke Marine Yachts Ltd traded until 2009. The shipyard was then purchased by an investment company which now leases many of the original buildings to a diverse range of businesses many of which are marine orientated.

Redevelopment Proposal

In October 2014, a planning application fo
Brook Peninsula & Jeld Wen
submitted by Cardy Construction Ltd to Waveney District Council for a £150 million was granted consentLowestoft waterfront's £150m regeneration plan submitted
BBC News, Suffolk. Retrieved 2014-01-15 development.

::"Demolition of the existing industrial units and residential-led mixed use redevelopment for residential use (use class C3) of up to 850 dwellings or 950,000 sqft (whichever is the greater), up to 1774sqm commercial (use classes A1-A5), marina building (sui generis), 1.5 form entry primary school, and visitor centre (use class D1) for the County Wildlife Site; together with associated infrastructure including a new spine road access and open space"Application Ref: DC/13/3482/OUT
Planning and building control, Application Summary. Retrieved 2014-01-15. The master plan, designed by Assael Architecture, aims to create a new place to live, work and visit building on its unique location between the North Sea and the Broads.

Ships built by Brooke Marine

Most craft produced by the company were steel, ranging in size from 20 to 93 metres. In 1964–65, the shipyard built 4 patrol crafts for the Pakistan Navy namely PN Ships ''Sylhet'', ''Jessore'', ''Comilla'' and ''Rajshahi''. During the Bangladesh Liberation War all but ''Rajshahi'' was sunk with ''Rajshahi'' escaping from the then East Pakistan to West Pakistan, via Penang, Malaysia. ''Jessore'' was later salvaged and, after refurbishment, was commissioned into the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Bishkhali. Other notable vessels include the ''Virgin Atlantic Challenger II'' and the first ''Al Said'', the former royal yacht and flagship of the Oman navy. The ''Mincarlo'', a trawler, is a floating museum based in the Port of Lowestoft for much of the year. The sail training ship ''Young Endeavor'' was begun by Brooke Marine before being completed by Brooke Yachts. It was a gift from the U.K. to Australia to celebrate the bicentenary of that country in 1988.About the ship
. Young Endeavor Youth Scheme. Retrieved 2011-04-25.

Brooke Marine built the seaplane tenders ''Zeta'' (1940) and ''Tristan'' (1949) as well as the flying boat refueller ''Lindsey 2111''.Zeta
National Historic Ships. Retrieved 2011-04-25.Tristan
, National Historic Ships. Retrieved 2011-04-25.Lindsey 2111
, National Historic Ships. Retrieved 2011-04-25. All three craft are in the National Historic Ships register.

Brook Marine also built the deep-sea factory fishing vessel ''Gaul'' which was a based at Hull. Gaul was built in 1972 for the Ranger Fishing company and registered at North Shields as Ranger Castor, SN18, later being renamed when Ranger Fishing was bought by British United Trawlers and re-registered as Gaul, H243. She sank some time on the night of 8–9 February 1974 in storm conditions in the Barents Sea with all 36 crew lost.

References

{{Reflist

Further reading

52' Express Cruiser "Breda", previously named "Dab II"

Defunct shipbuilding companies of England
British boat builders
Fishing boat builders
Companies based in Suffolk
1874 establishments in England
Manufacturing companies established in 1874
British companies established in 1874