Name Night Breeze

NIGHT BREEZE was the dream child of Norman Middleton, who decided to build a yacht. The build started early in 1972 on the Quay side of Bristol Historic dock on an area just in front of what is now known as Rownham Mead. The process started with him and his wife Diane and son Wayne, but quickly grew to incorporate other friends and family including the present owner. 

NIGHT BREEZE is a 52ft C-Lord ferro cement schooner, designed by Samson Marine, plans are now available through Hartley Boats. She was designed to sail the southern oceans being a schooner. During her construction, the aft deck was raised slightly to incorporate a master cabin. She is a ferro-cement hull and deck built using the Truss Frame method to create a hull form. The ferro-cement is a special mortar using sulphur resistant cement and Reigate minerals sand.

This method of construction provides a very strong structure and a very quiet boat at sea. The decks were then coated with a two-part epoxy paint. NIGHT BREEZE has a single 220 BHP, 2 stroke Detroit diesel engine, marinized by Gray Marine. Her engine came out of a decommissioned American landing craft weighing in at 1 ½ ton, it was a lot of useful ballast NIGHT BREEZE was originally rigged with timber masts, but the upkeep of these became hard work over the years, so in March 2018, she was re-rigged using Aluminium masts, the stepping of the Masts done with help from the volunteers of the Bristol M-Shed using one of the four working historic electric cranes they have on permanent display. Being a Schooner, she has 2 masts made of aluminium with galvanised and stainless steel standing rigging. In 1993 the present owner acquired her. In 1996 she went to Brest in France to take part in the Brest96 International Maritime Festival of the Sea. She then took part in the flotilla of boats to Douarnenez for the Douarnenez96 celebration of boats and sailors. With her size and distinctive rig, NIGHT BREEZE is an easily recognised vassal in her west country cruising ground.