History...
In 1978 Richard (Franklin) Pierce and Brennan Eldridge set up Franklin-Eldridge Boatbuilders at Ferry Nab, Windermere, to design and build one-off wooden yachts and smallcraft. By the mid 80’s Brennan had departed to establish his own furniture-making company, while Richard and Helen Pierce developed the boatyard, designing and building more than 80 yachts and smallcraft for oar, sail, steam and electric power by the start of the new century.
Our aim from the outset was to construct long-lived low maintenance boats that equal or surpass all traditional offerings through superior structural engineering design. The adaptation of traditional designs for wood/epoxy construction remains an important part of our activities to this day.
During the 1980’s our Windermere 17 Restricted Class Yachts (8.5m loa, 1.3 tonne, 30 sqm) dominated the racing at the Royal Windermere Yacht Club, and now, more than 25 years later the promised longevity and low maintenance of our wood-epoxy engineering is proving itself.
In 1983 we started an ongoing process of adapting our radical full size building practices to the production of superior yacht research models, and this symbiotic relationship has brought significant benefit to both our full-size and model building activities.
By 1993 we began to use computer aided design software, (the Wolfson Unit's Ship Shape and Formation's Maxsurf) and believe that our hull design for Pendlebury, a 34ft SteamYacht, was the world’s first ever computer-faired steamer!
For more than 25 years our models have been chosen for many front line research projects in the fields of Ship Stability and Docking, Seakeeping and Yacht Racing... including the outstanding Team NewZealand America's Cup Victory in 2000.
Reflecting changes in the value of lakeside real estate and our own ambitions (no more classic restorations!) we closed the Franklin Eldridge Windermere Boatyard in1998. This enabled us to acquire purpose-built premises to better facilitate the rapid construction of all sizes of ship & yacht research models.
James Pierce joined the partnership in 2005 after graduating with First Class Honours from Bournemouth Arts Institute and working for leading architectural model makers and product designers. He brings to the partnership the ability to create visually engaging display, concept and research models that are an indispensable visual aid to the designer and a tangible re-assurance to the end client.
In 1978 Richard (Franklin) Pierce and Brennan Eldridge set up Franklin-Eldridge Boatbuilders at Ferry Nab, Windermere, to design and build one-off wooden yachts and smallcraft. By the mid 80’s Brennan had departed to establish his own furniture-making company, while Richard and Helen Pierce developed the boatyard, designing and building more than 80 yachts and smallcraft for oar, sail, steam and electric power by the start of the new century.
Our aim from the outset was to construct long-lived low maintenance boats that equal or surpass all traditional offerings through superior structural engineering design. The adaptation of traditional designs for wood/epoxy construction remains an important part of our activities to this day.
During the 1980’s our Windermere 17 Restricted Class Yachts (8.5m loa, 1.3 tonne, 30 sqm) dominated the racing at the Royal Windermere Yacht Club, and now, more than 25 years later the promised longevity and low maintenance of our wood-epoxy engineering is proving itself.
In 1983 we started an ongoing process of adapting our radical full size building practices to the production of superior yacht research models, and this symbiotic relationship has brought significant benefit to both our full-size and model building activities.
By 1993 we began to use computer aided design software, (the Wolfson Unit's Ship Shape and Formation's Maxsurf) and believe that our hull design for Pendlebury, a 34ft SteamYacht, was the world’s first ever computer-faired steamer!
For more than 25 years our models have been chosen for many front line research projects in the fields of Ship Stability and Docking, Seakeeping and Yacht Racing... including the outstanding Team NewZealand America's Cup Victory in 2000.
Reflecting changes in the value of lakeside real estate and our own ambitions (no more classic restorations!) we closed the Franklin Eldridge Windermere Boatyard in1998. This enabled us to acquire purpose-built premises to better facilitate the rapid construction of all sizes of ship & yacht research models.
James Pierce joined the partnership in 2005 after graduating with First Class Honours from Bournemouth Arts Institute and working for leading architectural model makers and product designers. He brings to the partnership the ability to create visually engaging display, concept and research models that are an indispensable visual aid to the designer and a tangible re-assurance to the end client.