WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE
She may be based on a farm in north Norfolk, but Abbey Molyneux is quickly building a name for herself in boat restoration
Abbey Molyneux stepped into the boat restoration trade just 18 months ago, in March 2021. At just 30 years old, Abbey accepted a commission to renovate Queen of Light,a dilapidated 90-year-old Broads luxury hire boat owned by Luke Paterson – a Norfolk farmer. She rebuilt the boat and launched it in time for Henley Traditional Boat Show. She then rented a barn from Luke and set up her own yard – Abbey Boat Builder.
There have been 12 completed projects since Abbey’s arrival, and the yard has never had fewer than two boats in at a time. Her only promotion has been through social media posts of her work but she’s now looking at taking on help and extending her premises.
Working alone and being 5ft tall and slightly built, it is intriguing to see Abbey alongside some of the vast projects she undertakes. “The fun job for me is the big stu,” she says. “You take all the shapes out, all your reference points, and you have to create shapes in the empty spaces. With restorations you’re building backwards and you have to figure out a new way of doing it every time.”
She learned the skills by spending seven years at Dennetts in Chertsey, after an apprenticeship at Pioneer Sailing Trust in Brightlingsea, Essex. She thrived at Dennetts but ready for another challenge decided to move to Norfolk. “I’m not a person who coasts,” she says. “I always want the next thing.”
To save accommodation costs, she lived on a Freeman 26 and moved this to the Broads hoping to pick up jobs as she travelled. “I thought it would take a really long time to get known,” she says. “But it took about a week.”
Though Abbey is dynamic and upbeat, full of stories of the serendipity that got her to this point, she is also determined and driven and has had to prove herself.
Her first refurbishment was Noisy Goose, a 1962 Jack Powles motor cruiser. “A few people hounded me online and said I couldn’t have done it properly in the time. I got really upset by that. With my next boat, Queen of Light,I decided with the owner to varnish everything so every single bit of work was visible.”
Abbey wanted to take the boat to Henley Traditional Boatshow but she only had 102 days to complete the entire rebuild, so time was extremely tight. “I worked 13 hours a day, seven days a week. But I won Young Boatbuilder of the Year. I got a trophy!”
There are smaller projects, of course. She’s just mended a hole in a wooden dinghy. And there’s a Broom dominating her yard, which needs a plank replacing on the keel. “It’s been really well maintained and it’s the first time in 10 years that I’ve had a boat that needs only one plank doing.”
These jobs will be fast turnarounds, she always has everything to hand. “Sourcing the material was a massive outlay when I started but I’ve got everything I need. I don’t like that side of the business, so I cut it down and only do it once every six months. It saves me loads of time and hassle.”
Abbey prides herself on working quickly, and this summer is no exception. She has taken on the 1932 sailing boat, Caress, one of two built by Percival Boats in
Horning. The boat had deteriorated then sunk on its mooring but the owner wanted to save it. Abbey set to work on it, stripped it down, and will replace the hull in time for the owner to sail this season.
“When I steamed the ribs for their boat, the customer was really interested so I walked them through the process. I like them to understand the work that goes into a job so they can see what they’re paying for.”